Activist Stephen Hagan cheering as Coon cheese rebrand begins

Cheer cheese packaging has begun appearing in supermarkets across the nation, ending one man’s 20-year battle over the branding.

The rebranding of Coon cheese has begun with the rollout of its newly named Cheer cheese in supermarkets.

Canadian conglomerate Saputo last year announced it was retiring the name of the popular Australian cheese after complaints that the “Coon” brand was racist.

Aboriginal activist and businessman Stephen Hagan had lobbied for more than 20 years for a change to the Coon cheese brand, which its Australian manufacturers had argued was named after American Edward William Coon, who in 1926 patented the “ripening process” for the original product.

After Dr Hagan appealed directly to the Montreal-based company, chief executive Lino Saputo Jr said he had decided to rename the cheese as part of the company’s commitment “to eliminate racism in all its forms’’.

Canada-based Saputo took control of Coon cheese after it acquired a Japanese-owned Lion’s “everyday cheese business” in 2015.

Saputo Dairy Australia had originally said it would begin stocking the newly-branded cheese in July, and had come up with the name after extensive market research

Dr Hagan said he was surprised when a Sydney friend called him on Thursday to say that the new brand had already hit supermarket shelves, sitting alongside “Coon” cheese stock.

He then went to a supermarket in Townsville to verify that the new brand was being rolled-out in regional centres.

“It’s satisfying to see the new brand in the shelves after my 21-year public fight against this grossly offensive brand name for a yellow piece of cheese.,’’ he said.

“I do acknowledge the great work done by Saputo to make good on their promise to replace Coon with Cheer as the new brand for their popular cheese.”

Dr Stephen Hagan with the rebranded Cheer cheese, which is on sale alongside the old brand Coon. Source: Supplied

But Dr Hagan said he believed the story behind the naming of the cheese was invented.

“I am disappointed the narrative of the reason behind the change has not included the deceit of saying it was named after Edward William Coon following his 1926 patent,’’ he said.

“I co-authored an e-book earlier this year – Coon: More Holes Than Swiss Cheese – that details the history of the origin of Coon cheese that debunks Saputo’s published position.

“It is strange however, that the old history that was on Saputo’s website is slowly being erased.

“It’s a bit like the erasing of the physical ugliness of the block of cheese in supermarkets and food outlets today.”

Saputo has been contacted but has not responded to calls from The Australian.