British supermarket chain Waitrose has announced it will rename its Cooks' Ingredients Kaffir Lime Leaves as the name has racist connotations.
The word kaffir is a racial slur that was used in South Africa during the apartheid regime.
The Oxford English Dictionary also defines the term as "a very offensive word for a black African".
The name will be changed to Makrut Lime Leaves.
"This name change is a crucial step in recognising how important it is for us to listen to customers and educate ourselves when it comes to the language we use," said Helena Dennis, Waitrose grocery trading manager.
"While some of our customers may be unaware of the connotations of this particular word, it's important to us that we avoid offending anyone who shops with us."
The name will be changed on product labels, branded recipe cards, in future editions of cookbooks and other company literature.
"It is changes like this that ensure we are moving forward," said Dennis. "We need industry-wide support on this, and encourage other retailers to do the same in order to make a difference on a widespread, national scale."
The citric ingredient is commonly used in Cambodian, Indonesian and Thai recipes for soups and curries.
It is known botanically as citrus hystrix. It is native to Sri Lanka, Mauritius, South-East Asia and southern China, and is also known as makrut or Thai lime.
The commonly used name kaffir lime is believed to be a reference to the Sri Lankan Kaffir ethnic group. The term is derived from the Arabic word kafir, which means someone who does not believe in God; it was historically applied to Sub-Saharan Africans who did not practise Islam.
From there, the word was adopted as a racist insult for South Africa's indigenous population.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
