Coon cheese's name will be changed after a campaign by activists who said it had racist connotations.
Coon's owners, dairy products company Saputo, confirmed the change today, saying that: "One of our basic principles as an organisation is to treat people with respect and without discrimination and we will not condone behaviour that goes against this.
"We wanted to ensure we listened to all the concerns surrounding the COON brand name, while also considering comments from consumers who cherish the brand and recognise the origin of its founder Edward William Coon, which they feel connected to," Saputo said.
"After thorough consideration, Saputo has decided to retire the COON brand name."
Edward William Coon patented a process used to manufacture cheese in the US in 1926.
The brand's website says the cheese was first manufactured in Australia in November 1935 and was wrapped in "traditional red waxed cloth".
That lead to it becoming known as "Red Coon," according to Saputo's website.
But Dr Hagan said the name had purely racist meanings.
The cheese was previously wrapped in black and given the name "Coon" as a joke, he said.
In an article published in The First Nation's Telegraph in 2014, Dr Hagan said his research showed Edward Coon was an uneducated Russian immigrant who worked as a factory hand and the patent was launched in his name 10 years after the cheese was being sold.
The new name has not yet been announced, but Saputo said it would align with "current attitudes and perspectives".
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