Aunt Jemima Has Revealed Its Brand’s New Name

If you buy Aunt Jemima pancake mix, you’re not going to find it at the store later this summer. In June, a new label will hit store shelves. The mix inside will remain the same, but the look will be decidedly different.

Last year, Quaker Foods announced that they would be removing the racist image and name from their pancake mix. They also admitted that the image and name were derived from racial stereotypes. In a press release, Kristin Kroepfl, the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Quaker Foods North America, explained, “We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough.”

Aunt Jemima has undergone changes over the years. Her image changed, but not enough, and the name remained the same. Out with the old racial stereotype and in with the new name: Pearl Milling Company.

Why Pearl Milling Company? It has to do with the company’s history. According to the Aunt Jemima website, “Aunt Jemima is now Pearl Milling Company. Though the Brand is new to store shelves, the name itself has been a part of our story for over 130 years. Pearl Milling Company was a small mill in the bustling town of St. Joseph, Missouri. Using a pearl milling technique, they produced flour, cornmeal, and, beginning in 1889, the famous self-rising pancake mix that would go on to be known as Aunt Jemima. Our pancakes have been bringing smiles to the breakfast table ever since.”

For more about how Aunt Jemima has changed and when you can expect to see the new label on the box, watch the video below.

What do you think of the name Pearl Milling Company? Do you use Aunt Jemima, er, Pearl Milling Company products?