Coon cheese to dump controversial brand name

Image: Coon Cheese

Australian cheese brand, Coon, will ditch its controversial name after receiving a barrage of criticism.

Saputo, the Canadian company which brought Coon in 2015, has decided to dump the popular brand name after receiving complaints from Aboriginal people who say the name is a problem because of its use as a racial slur.

In a statement, the company said it wants to “eliminate racism in all forms”.

The company is now working to develop a new name which aligns with “current attitudes and perspectives”.

The cheese was named after Edward William Coon, an American man who patented the ripening process used to manufacture the original Coon cheese in 1926.

The name announcement comes less than a month after Nestle announced it will rename two other popular Australian products — Red Skins and Chicos.

Nestle to rename two lolly varieties to avoid ‘marginalising’ anyone