Trader Joe's rebrands ethnic foods as critics call packaging racist

Trader Joe’s has responded to critics who signed a petition calling for the removal of ethnic food store brand names like Trader Ming’s and Trader José, saying the company already was in the process of consolidating its international lines under the Trader Joe label. More than 2,200 people by Monday morning had signed the change.org petition that reads, in part, “We demand that Trader Joe’s remove racist branding and packaging from its stores,” and says that variations of “Joe” on…