Saputo, the Canadian firm who own Coon cheese, have announced they will be renaming the product after complaints of racism.
“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” it said in a statement.
Coon cheese is named after founder Edward William Coon, the US man who developed and patented a unique cheese maturing process.
The debate has intensified recently, with people of conjuncture about whether the name is racist or not.
Hey Australia – are we still chill with this? pic.twitter.com/3pY2wyZ3IY
— Josh Thomas (@JoshThomas87) June 14, 2020
What do you think? Should it be renamed?
Its always been my favorite go to cheese, i dont see how its racist when its named after its founder, people need to actually start looking at the real problems in this world, even renamed i will still be calling it coon cheese
Do not give in to a tiny minority. No one in Australia calls our Indigenous people “Coon’s”.
I will NEVER buy this cheese again and I hope that other cheese lovers will also boycott your cheese.
Seriously? Smh it’s named after a FAMILY NAME not a slur or a racist name against aboriginals. I’m not a racist but this is taking it too far, imo.
No change its named after original person
Maybe name the cheese Mr. Coon, after founder Edward William Coon.
no way
Leave things alone! This is Australia not North America who are kowtowing to every whimper
Maybe you could put the mans full name on the pack… his Christian names a little smaller than the Coon? After all it is the founders name and definitely not meant to make anyone feel anyway but happy about eating yummy Coon cheese!
No it should not be changed it’s a cheese and the last name of someone in its past. If certain people want to play the victim so be it. Black is a colour white is a colour and has nothing to do with racism and coon is a name and nothing racist about it. So do we change the name of a racoon. Follow the advice of Peter Russell Clarke who carried the name of this company in the nineties. You change the name rite in the middle of a virus and when the world is in a bad place you will be bakrupt in 6 months, becauce of political correctness and stupid groups trying to make issues and feather there own nests and alm all lives matter and we like coon cheese just the way it is.
Really, How disrespectful of Edward William Coon, who developed this unique cheese maturing process. You are insinuating that Coon is a surname to be ashamed off. This product is in existence because of him. Are his decendant’s now meant to feel ashamed of their surname. All this has gone to far. It is obvious the cheese is named after the creator of it and in no way intended to be racist. What’s next – no White King or Black strap molasses, red or white meat? Shame Saputo, you should just be educating people more widely that it is named after it’s founder and not giving in to minority opinions that have now become ridiculous. Guess I won’t be buying Devondale any longer and will turn to other Vic brands.
Cracker is a derogatory term used for white people so is cracker barrel cheese to be renamed as well?? Then what are they going to call crackers sold in supermarkets now as they have opened up this can of worms?? How far does political correctness go??
What a load of rubbish
These winging do gooders need to wake up to themselves
They think everything is racist its the name of some bloody cheese for christ sake. GROW UP PEOPLE
It’s gone way too far , now their dicatating to us how things should be !!! And our stupid government is allowing this to go on. So maybe we should start ” white matter lives protest ” and get things back to normal. Coon, Chico ‘s red skin’s and all the other things needs to stay, everything is taken way too seriously, it’s just a name it’s not a personal dig at anyone
No it should not, it has been called “Coon Cheese” for so many years now with nobody taking offense, and rightly so, why the sudden change, it is just a name
why must they kowtow to the rabid left? THE origin of the word was from raccoon in america! Got stuff all to do with coon cheese, the word’s gone mad!
IT’S A SURNAME!!!! What’s next, all the Mr Blacks and Mrs Whites have to change their names? This is ridiculous.
No it should not it change its name
The dictionary definition of Coon is “offensive —used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person”. Why use an offensive term when you can have the same taste with an inclusive name?
No the company should stand there ground and not bow down to this stupid minority bullying, it’s a persons name we all know that .. Nothing to do with race.
Hey Saputo, please don’t change the name and our historical love of this cheese. The name is definately NOT offensive to all but a minority in this country. We are allowing too much of our history to be eradicated due to political correctness and most Australians do not want these changes. Please think again and retain the historical name of the inventor.
Coon cheese was named after the person who developed and made it here in Australia, his names was Mr Edward Willuam Coon. The Canadians should leave it alone, it has nothing to do with racism, just in closed minds. If it is such an issue, include his photo on the pack. Retro is very Now and i dont hear remarks about Kentucky chicken or John West products
Why change the name ,its been coon for years ,change the name we will deffently change brands honesty out of hand,
All this over black lives matter we all matter not just black people, in all honesty no one in this world is pure Australian just do a DNA test yous will find out, so stop playing this selfish act about names, so we all should change the name of milk bottles, milky skins no ,
Next they will ask cocnut milk to change come on relly, it needs to stop go to other countrys they don’t change for us we buy law need to do as they say
HOW PETTY. There are more important things to change ! ! It’s a great product and O.K. as is . Max.
Its been it name for years so why change it , its not rasist its name after the man who mad it . Not everything is about race and people need to get that in to there heads and get a life.
Two points – I for one object strongly to a foreign multinational company, i.e., Saputo, forcing it’s so-called moral and ethical edicts on a culture with which it really has very little in common. If it ain’t busted, don’t fix it – especially if only to appease a vocal and tragically malaligned minority. Secondly, the man who originally introduced Coon Cheese was a European and I understand that his surname was originally ‘Kuhn’. The term ‘Coon’ arose from an anglicised version. So, despite all the opposition to the proposed change, if Saputo is to blindly pursue this ratbag move, what would be wrong with renaming the product ‘Kuhn’? Pretty sound compromise to my mind.
Are you serious? How is this offensive? Please explain to me how this offended anyone? Who ever found this offensive needs to get up, go buy some cement and harden up. Since I dont eat cheese or any other dairy products this isn’t offensive at all. Leave the name as it is.
Leave the name as is. It wasn’t named COON cheese to offend anyone. There are homonyns in our language – Do we have to change for the sake of a group of people feeling it offensive. There have been dreadful events in all cultures done to each other and amongst themselves black, white etc.
Today is today and we have learnt from previous generations and not forget.
Leave COON cheese alone.
Coon cheese is named after its American creator, Edward William Coon. So why would that be offensive. The people which think this is a racist Name . Guess what!? Get a life and go to work . You obviously have nothing else to do, than complaining.
It was NEVER named Coon for any racist reasons.
It was, as I understand it, as acknowledgement and respect to Edward Willian Coon who patented the cooning method of cheese making.
If we are going to be Politically Correct then do it for valid reasons and not just to be seen to do “the right thing” .
A name change would be disrespectful to Mr Coon and his family.
Plus, it also ridicules the seriousness of racism in legitimate issues.
Instead of making something out of nothing, why not just add a comment on all packaging that it is named in recognition of Edward William Coon? Simple.
Political Correctness is going too far in this case. After all it’s a mans name NOT a racist slur. What’s next are we going to make Vegemite a different colour because it might offend those of African American decent? Come on let’s get some common sense back into thinking,
Will not buy a renamed product. Do not give in to the idiots.
According to Wikipedia, “Coon cheese is named after its American creator, Edward William Coon (1871–1934) of Philadelphia, who patented a method, subsequently known as the Cooning process, for fast maturation of cheese via high temperature and humidity.”
Cheese-making was part of my undergraduate studies, so I can appreciate that the Coon process would have been a big advance in cheese-making. Under traditional processes, cheeses can literally take years to mature, and the necessary storage adds significantly to the price.
By shortening the maturation time, cheese can be produced more cheaply, which then becomes a benefit to society as a whole.
So those ignorant and self-righteous warriors of political correctness are actually dishonouring and impugning an inventor whose work has benefited everybody for more than a century.