Uncle Ben’s Rice will change its name to Ben’s Original and remove the image of a bow-tied black man from its packaging.
The change follows through on a pledge its owner Mars Food made in June, to review the brand amid global protests over police brutality and racism.
Uncle Ben’s entered the market in the 1940s and was for decades the best-selling rice in the US.
Its marketing has been criticised for perpetuating racial stereotypes.
Titles such as uncle and aunt were used in southern US states to refer to black people, instead of the more formal and respectful “Miss” or “Mister”.
The name of the Uncle Ben’s supposedly came from a Texas farmer known for his high-quality rice. The company asked the head waiter at a fancy Chicago restaurant to pose as the face of the brand.
