“Uncle Ben”, one of the most popular brands in the United Kingdom is calling back its microwavable brown rice. The concerns of glass present in the food and the safety risk it might pose are the main reason for this decision.
Recalling the Packets of Rice
Mars food UK reports that this is a “voluntary recall” of the product. Furthermore, the Food Standards Agency also agrees that the presence of glass might be a safety risk. As a result, they warned and advised the consumers to return the products immediately. Also, Mars food UK has made it clear that this is an isolated incident. Thus, the problem is only with microwavable brown rice packets of 250 grams each.
Mars food UK assures that all the other food products are fine for consumption and don’t pose any risks.
What should customers do?
First and foremost, the affected packets must be returned immediately. Accordingly, they can either go to the store of purchase and return it there. Or, they can dispose of the packs by getting it to touch with the customer call helpline given by the company (0800-952-1234). In both these cases, the customers will get a full refund. The packets that might have glass in them have expiry dates ranging from November 17th, 2020 to July 19th, 2021.
Change in Packaging
Along with this, the brand has also faced flak for its problematic packaging and cover picture. The “Uncle Ben” brand has the image of an African-American rice farmer on its cover. The brand justifies this on its website that the picture is a reference to the beloved Chicago chef and waiter Mr Frank Brown. But, the packaging has been called out by many for having racist undertones.
As a consequence, the brand promises to use this as an opportunity to”evolve” the Uncle Ben’s brand. Further, they reiterated that racism has no place in today’s society and that they’ll stand in solidarity with the black community and their associates in the fight for social justice. However, the specifications of the changes are not public yet.
In conclusion, as times change, we need to look at the way branding has shaped our perspectives and how they reflect popular societal sentiment. Food industries must be more conscious about the food that they produce and the branding that they put out. In addition to that, they must rectify errors when they do falter.