Lexi Webster
Coon Cheese, now known as Cheer Cheese, is a cheddar cheese produced by the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter company (WCB). The cheese was first launched in 1935 by Fred Walker and was named after its American creator, Edward William Coon, who in 1926 patented a method for fast maturation of cheese. The name change for Coon Cheese was announced in 2021 by Lino A. Saputo, the chair and CEO of Saputo Inc., which owns the brand, following criticism over the racist connotations of its previous name.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original Name | Coon Cheese |
| Current Name | Cheer Cheese |
| Manufacturer | Warrnambool Cheese and Butter company |
| Owner | Saputo Inc. (Canadian dairy company) |
| Previous Owners | Kraft Walker Cheese Co., Lion Dairy & Drinks |
| Reason for Name Change | Racist connotations |
| Year of Name Change | 2021 |
| Month of Name Change | July |
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What You'll Learn
Coon Cheese renamed Cheer Cheese after anti-racism campaign
Coon Cheese, an Australian trademark of cheddar cheese, was renamed Cheer Cheese in 2021 after facing pressure from anti-racism campaigns. The cheese was first launched in 1935 by Fred Walker and was named after its American creator, Edward William Coon, who in 1926 patented a method for fast-maturing cheese. The name Coon, however, is also a racial slur, and the brand faced decades-long campaigns to change it, including through challenges to the Australian Human Rights Commission in 1999 and the Advertising Standards Bureau in 2001 by activist Stephen Hagan.
Hagan's research showed that the term Coon was used in Australia as a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians and people of colour. The campaign to change the name of the cheese brand recently gained more traction when actor and comedian Josh Thomas raised the issue on Twitter. In 2020, amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, Saputo Inc., the owner of the brand, announced that the name would be changed. The chair and CEO of Saputo Inc., Lino A. Saputo, stated that "treating people with respect and without discrimination is one of our basic principles".
The new name, Cheer, was decided after consumer research. Saputo Dairy Australia stated that the name connects consumers to how they feel when enjoying the cheese in their everyday lives. They also added that the cheese will continue to be made locally in Victoria using Australian milk, supporting local dairy farmers. The name change has divided public opinion in Australia, with some welcoming the move while others have expressed their anger.
The Coon Cheese brand was not the only one to face pressure to rebrand following the Black Lives Matter movement. Other companies, such as Uncle Ben's and Nestle, also changed some of their product names that were deemed offensive and racist.
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Kraft Walker Cheese Co. launched Red Coon in 1931
The Kraft Walker Cheese Co. launched Red Coon in 1931. The cheese was marketed as "not processed in any way, but very finely matured by a secret method, which gives it a distinctive mellow flavor and smooth consistency". It was also advertised as being "2 years old". The name "Coon" came from American cheesemaker Edward Coon, who patented a method for fast maturation of cheese in 1926. This method involved high temperatures and humidity, and was known as the "Cooning process".
Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was a partnership between Fred Walker and James L. Kraft. In 1925, Walker travelled to the United States to meet Kraft and acquire the Australian rights to use his method of processing cheese. The pair began manufacturing "processed cheese" together that same year, and in May 1926, the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was officially registered as the parent company of Kraft Foods Ltd. They began to make processed "Kraft Cheddar Cheese" at their South Melbourne plant.
In 1959, "Coon 'Tasty' Cheese" began appearing in the press, with advertisements describing it as "Kraft natural tasty Coon Cheese, fully matured", with a "robust flavour men really appreciate". The cheese was manufactured in Melbourne by Kraft Foods Ltd. and marketed towards "active men".
In 2021, following decades of controversy and campaigns led by academic Stephen Hagan, the cheese was rebranded as "Cheer Cheese". The original name was criticised for its racist connotations, with many people calling for a change, especially after the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. The new name, "Cheer", was chosen to represent "the significance of pleasure and joy".
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Coon Cheese originally named after Edward Coon
Coon Cheese, now rebranded as Cheer Cheese, was originally named after Edward Coon, an American cheesemaker from Philadelphia. Coon pioneered a method for the fast maturation of cheese using high temperatures and humidity, which he patented in 1926. This process, known as the "Cooning process", was licensed by Fred Walker, who partnered with James L. Kraft of Kraft Foods to create the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. in 1925. Together, they launched a cheese known as "Red Coon" in 1931, which was manufactured using Coon's patented method.
The cheese was marketed as "Kraft natural tasty Coon Cheese, fully matured" and was described as having a "robust flavour men really appreciate." In Australia, the cheese was manufactured and sold by Kraft Foods Ltd. and later by Lion Dairy & Drinks. The brand was eventually acquired by Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, which is majority-owned by the Canadian dairy company Saputo Inc.
Despite the cheese's connection to Edward Coon, the brand name "Coon" has faced significant controversy and criticism due to its racist connotations. The term "coon" is widely recognized as a racial slur, particularly against Indigenous Australians and people of color. This led to long-running campaigns to change the brand name, with activists like Stephen Hagan challenging the name as early as the 1990s.
In response to these concerns and the growing momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Saputo Inc. announced in July 2020 that the brand name would be changed. The company's chair and CEO, Lino A. Saputo, emphasized the importance of treating people with respect and without discrimination. The new name, "Cheer Cheese," was chosen through consumer research and officially rebranded in July 2021.
While some welcomed the name change, others objected to it, claiming that the term was not used as a derogatory term in Australia. However, research has shown that the word "coon" has been used as a racial slur in Australia, particularly between the 1870s and 1939, and again in the 1970s. The name change reflects an effort to build a culture of acceptance and respect, moving away from any associations with racism or discrimination.
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Coon Cheese owned by Canadian company Saputo Inc
Coon Cheese, now rebranded as Cheer Cheese, is owned by Canadian company Saputo Inc. The cheese was launched in 1935 by Fred Walker and was manufactured in Melbourne. The cheese was originally named after Edward William Coon, an American cheesemaker who in 1926 patented a method for the fast maturation of cheese. This method involved high temperatures and humidity.
The name change came about following an anti-racism campaign led by academic Stephen Hagan, who had been campaigning for a rebrand since 1999. The previous name was considered offensive and racist, with the term being used as a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians and people of colour. The new name, Cheer Cheese, was chosen after consumer research and is meant to evoke positive emotions.
Saputo Inc. announced the name change in July 2020, with the rebranded packaging hitting supermarket shelves in Australia by July 2021. The chair and CEO of Saputo Inc., Lino A. Saputo, emphasised the company's principle of treating people with respect and without discrimination. The company also stated that the cheese would continue to be made locally in Victoria using Australian milk, supporting local dairy farmers.
The name change for Coon Cheese divided public opinion in Australia. While some welcomed the move, others expressed their anger and disappointment over the decision. Despite the controversy, the company stood by its decision to change the name, acknowledging the need to build a culture of acceptance and respect.
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Coon: More Holes than Swiss Cheese
The name "Coon Cheese" has a long and controversial history in Australia. The cheese, a type of cheddar, was first launched in 1935 by Fred Walker and was manufactured in Melbourne. The product was named after its American creator, Edward William Coon, who in 1926 patented a method for fast-maturing cheese using high temperatures and humidity. This process, known as the "Cooning process", was said to give the cheese a distinctive mellow flavor and smooth consistency.
However, the name "Coon" also has a long history as a racial slur, particularly against Indigenous Australians and other people of colour. The term was commonly used as a derogatory term in Australia from the 1870s to 1939, fell out of use during World War II, and then re-emerged in the 1970s. Despite this history, previous manufacturers of the cheese, including Kraft and Dairy Farmers, defended the use of the name, claiming it was named after Edward Coon.
In 2020, following the Black Lives Matter movement and a long-running campaign led by academic Stephen Hagan, there were renewed calls for the name to be changed. Hagan's research, presented in his e-book "Coon: More Holes than Swiss Cheese", challenged the idea that the cheese was named solely after Edward Coon, arguing that the term's racist connotations could not be ignored. He claimed that the story of Edward Coon was only mentioned by the brand owners in the 1980s and that Coon himself was an uneducated factory worker with no connection to the cheese's creation.
Amid the growing controversy and public pressure, the current owner of the brand, Saputo Inc., announced in July 2020 that the name would be changed. The decision was not without its critics, with some people voicing their anger and threatening to boycott the product if the name was changed. However, in January 2021, the company officially rebranded the cheese as "Cheer Cheese", with the new packaging hitting supermarket shelves in Australia by July. The name "Cheer" was chosen to represent the pleasure and joy associated with enjoying the cheese, and the company pledged to build a culture of acceptance and respect.
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Frequently asked questions
Coon Cheese is owned by Saputo Dairy Australia, a subsidiary of Canadian dairy company Saputo Inc.
Coon Cheese changed its name to Cheer Cheese in 2021 after facing pressure from Aboriginal groups and activists to remove the racist connotations of its previous name.
The word "Coon" is a racial slur and was used as a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians and other people of colour.
The name change was announced in January 2021, and the rebranded packaging hit supermarket shelves in July 2021.
