Claire Thompson
Uncle Ben's, now known as Ben's Original, is an American brand of parboiled rice and other food products. It was first introduced in 1943 and was the top-selling rice in the United States until the 1990s. In 2020, the brand was rebranded as Ben's Original in the US and Canada, and the iconic image of an elderly African-American man that graced its products was removed. One of the products offered by Uncle Ben's was the Roasted Chicken Flavored Rice, which is now known as BEN'S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™ Roasted Chicken Flavored Rice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brand Name | Uncle Ben's (now Ben's Original) |
| Product | Roasted Chicken Flavored Rice |
| Product Size | 8.8 oz |
| Preparation Time | 90 seconds |
| Preparation Method | Microwave |
| Ingredients | Water, Parboiled Long Grain Rice, Canola Oil, Salt, Yeast Extract, Dehydrated Carrots, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Parsley, Garlic Powder, Sugar, Potassium Salt, Citric Acid, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Spices, Dehydrated Cooked Chicken, Turmeric Extract (Color), Safflower Oil, Vitamins and Minerals, Sunflower Oil |
| Nutritional Information | Contains a trivial amount of saturated fat and cholesterol |
| Allergen Information | Contains bioengineered food ingredients |
| Company History | Formerly marketed with the image of an elderly African-American man, rebranded in 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Uncle Ben's is now Ben's Original
Uncle Ben's, now known as Ben's Original, is an American brand of parboiled rice and related food products. The company was first introduced as Converted Rice Inc. in 1942 by German-British chemist Erich Huzenlaub and British chemist Francis Heron Rogers, who invented a form of parboiling that retained more nutrients in rice. This process, now known as the Huzenlaub Process, involved vacuum drying the whole grain, steaming, and then vacuum drying and removing the husk. This increased the rice's nutritional value, reduced cooking time, and made it resistant to weevils.
In 1943, Uncle Ben's rice was first marketed and became the top-selling rice in the United States until the 1990s. In 2020, the brand was rebranded as Ben's Original in the US and Canada. The name change was accompanied by a shift in the brand's imagery. From 1946 to 2020, Uncle Ben's products featured the image of an elderly African-American man, which was based on a Chicago maître d'hôtel named Frank Brown. The name "Ben" may have been a reference to a rice farmer from Houston. However, Mars, the company that owns Ben's Original, stated in 2020 that they do not know if a real "Ben" ever existed.
Ben's Original continues to offer a range of rice products, including the popular Ready Rice in roasted chicken flavor. This product can be cooked in just 90 seconds using a microwaveable pouch, providing a quick and convenient option for consumers. The ingredients in the roasted chicken-flavored rice include parboiled long-grain rice, canola oil, salt, yeast extract, dehydrated carrots, onion powder, and various spices and natural flavors to enhance the taste.
The rebranding from Uncle Ben's to Ben's Original reflects a broader effort to move away from racial stereotypes and towards more inclusive and sensitive branding. The original imagery and name associated with Uncle Ben's were considered by some to be offensive and inappropriate, particularly in the context of the racial justice movements of recent years. By changing the name and imagery, Ben's Original aims to present a more modern and inclusive brand image while continuing to offer its well-known rice products to consumers.
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Chicken flavour still available
Uncle Ben's, now known as Ben's Original, still offers chicken-flavored rice. The product is described as "roasted chicken-flavored" and is available in an 8.8 oz pack on Walmart.com. The rice is ready to eat in 90 seconds and is cooked in the microwave in its pouch, eliminating prep and cleanup.
In 2020, Mars, Inc., the owners of the brand, decided to rebrand Uncle Ben's as Ben's Original in the US and Canada. This decision was made due to the racial connotations of the brand name and logo, which featured an elderly African-American man, potentially based on a real-life Chicago maître d'hôtel named Frank Brown.
The new branding, Ben's Original, aims to retain the brand's association with rice while moving away from the problematic imagery and name of its predecessor. Despite the name change, the product itself appears to have remained largely the same, including the chicken-flavored variant.
The chicken-flavored rice is also available in a family-sized option, although the exact weight of this pack is unclear. The ingredients include long-grain parboiled rice, chicken fat, dehydrated cooked chicken, and various herbs and spices, including parsley, garlic powder, and turmeric extract.
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Uncle Ben's branding lasted until 2020
The name "Uncle Ben's" was first used in the 1940s and was based on a famed Texas farmer known for his rice. The image of the Black man on the box was modelled after Frank Brown, a waiter at a Chicago restaurant. Critics have pointed out the problematic use of a Black man to be the face of a white company, noting that during the country's Jim Crow era, Black men were often referred to as "boy" or "uncle" instead of "Mr.". In 2007, Uncle Ben's had a re-branding, and the character was portrayed as a businessman.
In September 2017, Mars, Inc. started to certify the sustainability of basmati rice sold under the Uncle Ben's brand to encourage local farmers to opt for the best agricultural methods. In June 2020, Mars Inc. announced that it was changing the name of the brand to Ben's Original, with the new packaging becoming widely available in the United States and Canada from about June 2021.
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The branding was considered controversial
The branding of Uncle Ben's rice was considered controversial due to the image used on its products from 1946 to 2020. The image depicted an elderly African-American man dressed in a bow tie, which was based on a Chicago maître d'hôtel named Frank Brown. The name "Ben" may have referred to a rice farmer from Houston.
Previously, Mars, the company that owns Uncle Ben's, described Uncle Ben as an African-American rice grower known for the quality of his rice. This description contributed to the controversy surrounding the brand's image. In 2020, Mars told Ad Age that they did not know if a real 'Ben' ever existed, contradicting their previous description of the character.
The brand name and image have been criticised for perpetuating racial stereotypes and appropriating African-American culture for commercial purposes. As a result, in 2020, the brand was renamed "Ben's Original" in the US and Canada, and the image of the elderly African-American man was removed from all packaging.
The decision to rebrand came during a period of heightened racial tension and protests against racial injustice in the US. Many companies reevaluated their branding and marketing strategies to ensure they were not perpetuating negative stereotypes or offensive imagery. Uncle Ben's recognised the need to reflect the values of their consumers and took steps to change their branding accordingly.
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The rice is cooked in 90 seconds
Uncle Ben's, now Ben's Original, is an American brand of parboiled rice introduced in 1943. The rice was first marketed by Converted Rice Inc., which was owned by Mars, Inc. In 2020, the brand was rebranded as Ben's Original in the US and Canada.
Ben's Original Ready Rice comes in a variety of flavors, including roasted chicken. The rice is cooked in 90 seconds and is packaged in a microwaveable pouch, eliminating prep and cleanup. The pouch contains parboiled long-grain rice, canola oil, salt, yeast extract, dehydrated carrots, onion powder, dehydrated parsley, garlic powder, sugar, potassium salt, citric acid, chicken fat, natural flavors, spices, dehydrated cooked chicken, turmeric extract (for color), safflower oil, vitamins, and minerals.
To cook the rice, first squeeze the pouch to separate the rice. Then, tear two inches to vent. The cooking time for one pouch is 90 seconds, while two pouches take 2 and a half minutes.
The brand has a long history, dating back to the invention of a form of parboiling in the 1910s by German-British chemist Erich Huzenlaub and British chemist Francis Heron Rogers. This process increased the rice's nutritional value, reduced cooking time, and made it resistant to weevils. In 1942, Huzenlaub and Houston food broker Gordon L. Harwell formed Converted Rice, Inc., selling their product to the US and British armed forces during World War II. The rice was ideal for troops in the field as it could be cooked quickly and was not susceptible to weevil infestation.
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Frequently asked questions
Uncle Ben's chicken-flavored rice is now called BEN'S ORIGINAL™ READY RICE™ Roasted Chicken Flavored Rice. The brand Uncle Ben's was rebranded as "Ben's Original" in 2020 in the US and Canada.
Yes, Ben's Original chicken-flavored rice is the same product as Uncle Ben's chicken-flavored rice, just with a new name.
Uncle Ben's was first marketed in 1943 and featured the image of an elderly African-American man, which is said to have been based on a Chicago maître d'hôtel named Frank Brown. In 2020, Mars, the company that owns the brand, decided to change the name and remove the image, stating that they did not know if a real 'Ben' ever existed.
