Generally, we as copy editors should avoid comparing skin colors—particularly those of PoC—to food and/or beverages. Read this blog post for more details and for suggestions on alternative language. If in doubt, always check with the affected population by reading their books or blogs or tweets.
This does not generally apply to hair or eye color, unless it feels or is otherizing.
Part of our duty as editors is to point out potentially and actually problematic content. Everyone has internal biases, and if we can make a tiny dent in reducing biased, offensive, otherizing, or flat-out racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, &etc text, then that’s a win. Remember that our job is to make sure the reader never has to think “Well, that’s wrong” about grammar, spelling, or punctuation, but we also help the author with readers not thinking “that doesn’t make sense,” “where did that red hat come from,” or, very importantly, “that’s offensive.”
A seamless reading experience is the goal.
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