UNCLE Ben’s branding will be ditched from rice packets and renamed over claims of racial stereotyping. The iconic family favorite will now be called Ben’s Original when the new packaging hits the shelves next year.

Mars global president Fiona Dawson said: “We listened to our associates and our customers and the time is right to make meaningful changes across society. “When you are making these changes, you are not going to please everyone. But it’s about doing the right thing, not the easy thing.” Mars explained on its website that Uncle Ben is a fictional character whose name was first used in 1947 as a reference to an African American Texan male rice farmer.