Sydney chef Fatimah Omran defends calling Cheer cheese by former name of Coon in TikTok | Daily Mail Online

A chef has spoken out after she copped backlash online for using the former name of a popular cheese brand that has since been branded ‘racist’.Fatimah Omran, 42, from Sydney, shared her recipe for a watermelon and three cheese sandwich to TikTok this week.But when Ms Omran identified the cheese she used as Coon, rather than it’s new name Cheer, she was quickly hit with a barrage of criticism.Fatimah Omran, 42, from Sydney, shared her recipe for a watermelon and three cheese sandwich to TikTok this week Ms Omran has defended herself after she copped backlash for calling Cheer cheese Coon The video, captioned ‘name a better combination’, starts with the chef spreading three cheeses on a piece of bread.’My daughter taught me this sandwich, it’s just cream cheese and you crumble some feta cheese. You [then] put slices of tasty cheese – I’ve just used Coon [cheese] here,’ she said.’You roll it up and whack it in your toaster. We all know you can’t have a toasted cheese sandwich without watermelon.’Just take a bite of that with a bite of the watermelon and you’ll love it.’ Her video was quickly flooded with comments from many questioning why she chose to refer to the cheese as Coon.In July 2021, the then 90-year-old Australian brand changed its name to Cheer after a campaign raised concerns about the former moniker being widely regarded as a racial slur. Cheer cheese owner Saputo has always maintained the cheese was named after American cheesemaker Edward Coon. Ms Omran said she hadn’t yet gotten used to the name change, as it had been known as Coon for decades.’I felt the need to name Coon cheese, as it is the best cheese for the wrap,’ she told Daily Mail AustraliaIn her viral video, the mum-of-three said she felt the need to name Coon cheese as it is the best cheese for the wrap’I haven’t stopped calling it Coon. I call it that when I shop, when I cook – I haven’t adapted to the change.’The mum-of-three said she just wanted to share something delicious with her followers.’I was really surprised about the backlash .. my voiceover attracted more attention than what I cooked,’ she said.’I’m always specific online and I didn’t realise [viewers] would hang on to every single word I said.The Australian cheese company had a major name change in July 2021 after a campaign raised concerns about the former moniker being regarded as a racial slur’I think there’s more important issues in life to concentrate on and better things to be passionate about.’People are definitely overreacting and I think people just like to complain. I didn’t mean anything discriminatory by it.’Ms Omran said one of her followers had shared with her a screenshot of a post in a Facebook group that was calling for her video to be taken down.’The comments were 50/50, people were fighting with each other. Some people were offended and some people were saying ”I’m sure Fatima didn’t mean it in an insulting way”,’ the chef said.Ms Omran uploaded a public apology to her Instagram (pictured) after the backlash, where she wrote she named the cheese as it has a ‘better pull’ than other cheesesThe Sydney chef shared a public apology on her Instagram page after the backlash to clear the reasons why she said what she did.In the post, Ms Omran shared that being of Lebanese heritage she has ‘had her fair share of blunt racism’, while admitting she didn’t know the real reason the cheese ever had a rebrand.’It’s not offensive to me because I have never ever Googled the name and honestly didn’t know or research why exactly the name was changed,’ she wrote. ‘So huge apologies for those I offended. I do acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land I live in.’I do not stand for any racism whatsoever’. COON/CHEER CHEESE HISTORY The iconic Australian brand was founded in 1931 as Red Coon. It was named after American cheesemaker Edward Coon, who in 1926 patented a method for fast maturation of cheese through high temperature and humidity.In 1959 the brand name was changed to Coon. In 2001, activists started a campaign to have the name changed because of what they said was its racist connotations.Aboriginal activist Dr Stephen Hagan, did not believe the brand name came from Mr Coon, but had always been a racist joke.Events such as the Black Lives Matter movement helped get the activists a hearing for their views. Coon’s owners Saputo finally gave in and announced the name change to Cheer in 2021.’I said that the cheese brand was offensive, I said that it demeans people of colour,’ Dr Hagan told the ABC at the time. Saputo, a Canadian company, said ‘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.’After thorough consideration, Saputo has decided to retire the Coon brand name.’Dr Hagan welcomed the change, saying ‘If I didn’t make a stand, we would still be eating Coon cheese in another 20 years’ time.’ Share or comment on this article: Sydney chef Fatimah Omran defends calling Cheer cheese by former name of Coon in TikTok Share what you think No comments have so far been submitted. 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