Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Claims Parent Company Halted Palestine-Themed Frozen Dessert Flavor
One of the original creators of the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated how parent company the multinational conglomerate blocked the introduction for an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.
Ben Cohen, that co-founded the company with Jerry Greenfield, announced how he plans to independently develop the controversial flavor within an individual collection highlighting issues the company was barred from speaking out about.
Longstanding Conflict Involving Founders and Corporate Owner
The recent development escalates the ongoing conflict between the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.
The co-founders have claimed how Unilever and their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked their company against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".
The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol of Solidarity
Mr. Cohen stated via social media how he is creating an innovative watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions regarding naming options plus potential ingredients.
“I'm doing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen stated in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”
The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for support for the Palestinian people because of its coloration, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.
Historical Activism plus Recent Changes
Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in territories under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company transferring the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thereby permitting continued sales in the occupied West Bank.
The new dessert series will be created through Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that was first created several years back for endorsing former political contender Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".
Management Changes and Future Plans
The founder stated how he will develop other frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues which Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly by Unilever.
The announcement comes after co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, following decades with the organization, citing concerns regarding how its independence had been undermined after Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.
Previously, Ben Cohen stated that “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with our parent company was breaking it."
“My conscience leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that the company can fulfill its ethical purpose, the values which it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he told media outlets.
- Parent company limitations on social activism
- Personal product development from company founders
- Watermelon flavor as political symbol
- Ongoing tensions between corporate ownership and social mission