Saputo has announced the COON brand of cheese will be retired and a new name sought in the face of accusations of racism.
The company issued this statement:
“At Saputo, one of our basic principles as an organization is to treat people with respect and without discrimination and we will not condone behaviour that goes against this.
As such, we performed a careful and diligent review of a sensitive situation involving one of our brands.
We wanted to ensure we listened to all the concerns surrounding the COON® brand name, while also considering comments from consumers who cherish the brand and recognise the origin of its founder Edward William Coon, which they feel connected to.
After thorough consideration, Saputo has decided to retire the COON® brand name. We are working to develop a new brand name that will honour the brand-affinity felt by our valued consumers while aligning with current attitudes and perspectives.
We believe we all share in the responsibility to eliminate racism in all its forms and we feel this is an important step we must take to uphold this commitment.”