Heinz Faces Racism Controversy
"Expresses Deep Apology"
American major food manufacturer Heinz has become embroiled in a racial discrimination controversy over an advertisement installed at subway stations around London, UK.
On the 6th (local time), according to the British daily The Independent, the controversial advertisement showed a Black bride sitting in the middle of the dining table, unfazed by sauce stains on her wedding dress, picking up pasta with a fork.
The problem was that while depicting a wedding scene between a Black woman and a White man, only the Black woman’s side was portrayed as a single-mother family without a father. In the photo, a White man and woman, presumably the groom’s parents, were seated on the left, but on the right, only a Black woman, presumably the bride’s mother, was seated next to the groom.
Heinz intended to emphasize the excellent taste of its newly launched pasta sauce, but this backfired and faced criticism from netizens. One netizen criticized on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Black girls also have fathers." Another pointed out, "It is shocking that a mainstream brand like Heinz completely erased Black fathers. How was this ad approved?"
In the English-speaking world, there has been a negative stereotype for decades that Black children often grow up in single-mother households, and The Independent explained that Heinz’s advertisement provoked resentment among Black people regarding this stereotype.
As the controversy continued, Heinz issued a statement saying, "We deeply apologize for unintentionally reinforcing negative stereotypes through this advertisement," and added, "We will continue to listen, learn, and improve to ensure this does not happen again."
Meanwhile, founded in 1869, Heinz is an American comprehensive food company widely known for ketchup, currently producing various products such as ketchup, vinegar, and mustard. In 2015, under the investment of 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway, it merged with Kraft Foods and changed its company name to Kraft Heinz.
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