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The end of Uncle Ben. Iconic rice changes its name, and a smiling black man disappears from the packaging

New packages of Ben´s Original rice are coming to market next year. The original Uncle Ben´s brand has been on sale since 1947 and has been the best-selling in the United States for decades.

In the states of the southern United States, blacks were called “uncle” or “aunt” instead of the more formal and respectful “sir” or “lady.” Uncle Ben´s rice is said to have been named after a certain Texas farmer, famous for his high-quality sprouts. Frank Brown, a senior at a luxury restaurant in Chicago, became the “model” for the picture on the packaging.

Mars also said in a statement to change the brand name and logo that it would allocate $ 2 million ($ 46.3 million) to scholarships for black chefs and invest $ 2.5 million in Greenville, Mississippi, where it has a rice processing plant. .

Another food giant, PepsiCo, has decided to change the designation of its line of Aunt Jemima (Aunt Jemima) brands as a result of protests following the death of black George Floyd during an arrest by a white police officer. Syrups, pancake mixes and other products with this designation have a picture of a smiling black woman.

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