Food company Knorr will change the name of its “Zigeunersauce,” or "gypsy sauce" to "Paprika Sauce Hungarian Style," the German weekly Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday.
“Since ‘gypsy sauce’ can be interpreted in a negative way, we have decided to give our Knorr sauce a new name,” said
The popular spicy sauce, a staple in many German households, will within a few weeks show up with the new name in supermarkets across the country, Bild am Sonntag reported.
Civil rights groups have for years called for the renaming of the brand, but in 2013, the company rejected the demand, the German news agency dpa reported.
The renaming of the brand follows recent international debates over racism, especially in
“Zigeuner” is a derogative German expression for the
The terms “Zigeunersauce” has been used in
A popular dish with the sauce that's often served in traditional German restaurants is called “Zigeunerschnitzel,” or “gypsy schnitzel.” That name is also still used on many menus across the country nowadays — despite much criticism.
The head of the
“It is good that Knorr reacts to the complaints of apparently a lot of people,” Romani Rose told Bild am Sonntag. However, he added that more than the discriminating nature of the sauce's name, he was worried by the increasing racism against minorities in
He noted how some soccer fans in
In June,
The number of complaints about racism has more than doubled since 2015, the agency said.
There have also been a rising number of racists attacks in
This story corrects the spelling of Zigeunersauce.
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