Merchant Joe’s says it will change the labeling of ethnic food packages after a petition called the supermarket brands “Trader Ming’s” and “Trader Jose’s” “racist.”
As of Monday, Change.org’s petition “demanding” that the supermarket chain change its food packaging has been signed more than 2,500 times.
“We demand that Trader Joe’s remove racist brands and packaging from its stores,” the petition says. “The supermarket chain labels some of its ethnic foods with ‘Joe’ modifications that belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.”
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Referring to the store’s “Trader Ming’s,” Arabian Joe “,” Trader José “,” Trader Giotto’s “and” Trader Joe San “brands, the petition states that” the brand is racist because it exoticizes other cultures “and” it features “Joe ‘by default’ normal ‘and the other characters that fall outside of it.”
In a statement, the grocery store addressed the allegations and said it has been updating the labels and will continue to do so “until we complete this important work.”
“While this approach to product naming may have stemmed from a lighthearted attempt at inclusion, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect, one that runs counter to the welcoming and rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day.” , a friend from Kenya -Daniel, a spokesman for Trader Joe’s, said in a statement to ABC News.
“We have been in the process of updating the old labels and replacing any variations with the Trader Joe’s name, and we will continue to do so until we complete this important work.”
According to Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe’s does not currently have an “exact date” for the change, but said the store hopes to “complete the job very soon.”
“Packaging for various products has already been changed, but there are a small number of products where packaging is still going through the process,” he added.
In response to the company’s statement, organizers of the petition asked the store to recall products that “the company acknowledges were not inclusive.”
“If a date cannot be set, we ask that Trader Joe’s immediately remove all products that the company acknowledges have been non-inclusive and have not cultivated a welcoming and rewarding customer experience,” the petition says.
The store’s announcement comes after many other companies have recently rebranded amid ongoing talks about racism in the United States.
In June, Quaker Oats announced that it would change the name and brand images associated with Aunt Jemima in an effort to “move toward racial equality.”
The independent She has contacted Trader Joe’s for comment.
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