The ice cream brand's Co-Founder Claims Parent Company Halted Pro-Palestinian Frozen Dessert Flavor
One of the original creators of the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has stated how parent company the multinational conglomerate prevented the introduction for an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.
Ben Cohen, that co-founded the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, announced that he plans to independently develop this new product as part of an individual series highlighting issues the company has been barred from speaking out about.
Ongoing Dispute Between Creators and Parent Company
The recent announcement deepens the ongoing tension between the world-famous ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.
Both founders maintain that Unilever and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".
Watermelon Sorbet as a Symbol for Solidarity
The entrepreneur revealed through an Instagram video how he's developing a new watermelon-based sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options and potential ingredients.
“I'm doing what they couldn't,” the founder stated in a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding addressing the harm that was done there.”
This particular fruit has emerged as a symbol for support for the Palestinian people because of its colors, which match the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.
Previous Activism and Current Changes
Several years ago, the ice cream company ceased sales of its products in areas under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever transferring the Israeli operation to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.
The new dessert series will be developed under Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that was first established in 2016 for endorsing ex- political contender Senator Sanders with the product "Bernie's Return".
Management Shifts plus Upcoming Intentions
The founder stated how he will create other ice cream flavors that address concerns which the company was prevented from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.
This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years with the organization, citing concerns regarding how its independence was undermined after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.
Previously, Mr. Cohen commented that “My partner has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."
"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy ensuring that it can achieve the social mission, the principles which established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.
- Corporate owner restrictions regarding social activism
- Personal product development by company founders
- The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
- Ongoing disagreements among parent company versus ethical values