Uncle Ben's (Ben's Original) rice

Brand origin, manufacturing and ownership

Uncle Ben's is an American rice brand originally introduced in 1943 by Converted Rice, Inc., based on a patented parboiling/"conversion" process developed in the 1940s. The brand became widely known as Uncle Ben's for decades and was historically produced in U.S. facilities (notably a large Mars Food plant in Greenville, Mississippi) and distributed globally.

In response to concerns over racially stereotyped branding, Mars, Incorporated announced on September 23, 2020 that the Uncle Ben's name and imagery would be changed; the brand was relaunched as "Ben's Original," with new packaging rolled out to markets in 2021. Despite the rebrand, the product portfolio (parboiled/converted rice and ready-to-heat rice pouches) and manufacturing infrastructure remained under Mars' ownership and management.

Manufacturing footprint: While a significant share of Ben's Original/Uncle Ben's products for the U.S. market are produced at Mars Food facilities in the United States (the Greenville, Mississippi site is a major production hub), the brand is manufactured in multiple countries to serve global markets. Therefore it is best described as primarily produced in the United States but also manufactured in other locations worldwide.

Ownership: The brand is currently owned by Mars, Incorporated — a large, family-owned U.S. multinational — and is managed within its Mars Food division. Mars acquired the original business generations ago and remains the ultimate owner and operator of the Ben's Original product lines.