Mrs. Butterworth’s To Undergo A ‘Complete Brand And Packaging Review’ Along With Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s

Conagra Brands Communications Manager Dan Skinner told Forbes in an email that while the Mrs. Butterworth’s brand, including its syrup packaging, was intended to “evoke the images of a loving grandmother,” the company recognizes how it may be perceived differently. 

“We understand that our actions help play an important role in eliminating racial bias and as a result, we have begun a complete brand and packaging review on Mrs. Butterworth’s,” Skinner said. 

PepsiCo announced Wednesday morning that it was scrapping the 130-year-old Aunt Jemima breakfast brand over its “racist stereotype” origins, quickly followed by a similar announcement from Mars Inc., the parent brand of Uncle Ben’s, which announced it would be “evolving” the logo. 

Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup was created by Unilever in 1961 and has since been accused of being rooted in mammy culture; the matronly woman-shaped bottle was reportedly modeled after Thelma “Butterfly” McQueen, who played Prissy in “Gone With The Wind,” a character used to show black women as content working in white households.