Eskimo Pie to change ‘derogatory’ name and branding due to racial concerns, company says

Eskimo Pie is getting a new name.

The ice cream brand, owned by Dreyer’s, is changing its nearly 100-year-old name and branding due to racial concerns, CBS reported.

“We have been reviewing our Eskimo Pie business for some time and will be changing the brand name and marketing,” Dreyer’s head of marketing, Elizabell Marquez, told CBS News. “We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is derogatory.”

The term “Eskimo” is often used in Alaska to refer to Inuit and Yupik people, according to the Alaska Native Language Center.

It is considered derogatory in other places because it was given by people who were not Inuit and was said to mean “eater of raw meat,” according to the center.

Now, linguists believe the term was derived from an Ojibwa word which meant “to net snowshoes,” the center said, though a number of groups still prefer other names.

Eskimo Pie, a chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar, was patented in 1922 by Christian Kent Nelson and Russell Stover, Fox News reported.

It is the latest in a string of brands that said they will review and change the names and images on their products due to concerns over racial insensitivity.

Last week, syrup brand Aunt Jemima said it would change its name and remove its logo from its products, and Mrs. Butterworth’s soon followed suit. Uncle Ben’s, a brand of rice products, said it plans to “evolve” brand identity and images associated with the line. Cream of Wheat said it was also reviewing its mascot to ensure the brand does not “inadvertently contribute to systemic racism.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2020 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Eskimo Pie to change ‘derogatory’ name and branding due to racial concerns, company says."