Eskimo Pie Ice Cream to Change ‘Derogatory’ Name

Eskimo Pie ice cream will undergo a name change after the owner company determined the name to be “derogatory,” Reuters reported on Friday.

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, owner of Eskimo Pie, told Reuters on Friday that the business has been under review, and they “recognize the term is derogatory.”

“We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is derogatory,” Elizabell Marquez, head of marketing at Dreyer’s Grand, said in a statement.

“This move is part of a larger review to ensure our company and brands reflect our people values,” Marquez added.

Eskimo Pie is just the latest brand that will undergo a major change as the national narrative continues to focus on protests and racial justice.

Quaker Foods, the company behind the “Aunt Jemima” brand of syrup and breakfast foods, announced this week that it will rename its products and scrap the iconic “Aunt Jemima” image after determining that the origins “are based on a racial stereotype.”

“As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations,” Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, said in a press release.

As Breitbart News reported:

“Quaker said the new packaging will begin to appear in the fall of 2020, and a new name for the foods will be announced at a later date,” NBC reported. “The company also announced it will donate at least $5 million over the next five years ‘to create meaningful, ongoing support and engagement in the Black community.’”

The purge of Aunt Jemima comes as a wave of municipalities across the United States are removing historical monuments for similar complaints of racial insensitivity. Crowds of protesters have defaced or even destroyed statues of notable figures from the Civil War-era Confederate States of America, Founding Fathers, veterans, and even abolitionists. The current unrest was sparked by a string of racially-charged killings: Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and George Floyd in Minnesota. As the Black Lives Matter movement organized protests across the nation, some of which descended into violent riots and looting, tensions flared again after Atlanta police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks.

The pancake syrup brand Mrs. Butterworth’s will also undergo a “complete brand and packaging review,” Conagra Brands announced this week.

The bottle is in the shape of a “matronly woman,” meant to depict an image of a “loving grandmother.” However, “the company said it can understand that the packaging could be misinterpreted,” as the AP reported.

B&G Foods Inc. also announced this week an “immediate review” of Cream of Wheat’s packaging, which features a smiling black chef.

“We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism,” the company said in a statement.

“B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind,” it added.

The Uncle Ben’s brand, featuring the image of an older black man, will also undergo a change in “brand identity,” Mars announced.

“As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices,” Mars said in a statement.

“As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” the company added.