Supermarket to change boomerang name after cultural appropriation claim

The term "boomerang wing" has apparently been a commonly used term in the poultry industry across the Tasman for years. Photo / news.com.au

Woolworths in Australia will change the description on its chicken wings from "boomerang wings" to "V wings", the supermarket has confirmed.

The term "boomerang wing" has been a commonly used term in the poultry industry across the Tasman for years but the supermarket will no longer use the description following a customer complaint.

"While this is a commonly used term to describe this cut of chicken in the poultry industry, we appreciate the customer's perspective," a Woolworths spokesman told news.com.au.

"We've reviewed the feedback and decided it's appropriate to change the description of this particular cut to 'V wings'.

"This is a description used by a wide range of chicken brands already, so customers will be familiar with it.

"Customers will notice the change reflected in-store over the coming weeks."

The change comes after a Twitter user complained about the product description, claiming it was "unnecessary and disrespectful cultural appropriation".

But not everyone was convinced the term "boomerang wings" was offensive, with one person writing on Facebook that it was "absolutely ridiculous".

"Yes better to change it to politically correct wings. While they're at it, change chicken breast to chicken chest," another person wrote.

The boomerang is an Indigenous weapon that was used for hunting, digging and fighting for thousands of years prior to European arrival in Australia.

For Indigenous Australians the boomerang is also a "symbol of cultural endurance and a tangible link to their long presence on this continent" says the National Museum Australia.

Woolworths' change to the description of its chicken wings comes after it was announced Coon cheese would be changing its name.

The 85-year-old dairy product will be known as "Cheer" cheese from July, its parent company Saputo Dairy Australia confirmed.

The decision to make a change was made last year in response to growing criticism that the name had racist connotations.

It was originally named "Coon" after American cheese pioneer Edward William Coon who died in 1934.

But the word is also a racist slur against people of colour.

It comes as a slew of other brands made the decision to change their product names because of racist connotations, with Red Skins now Red Rippers, Chicos now Cheekies and Eskimo Pies now known as Polar Pies.