Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder States Unilever Halted Palestine-Themed Frozen Dessert Flavor
One of the original creators behind the famous ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated that parent company the multinational conglomerate blocked the launch for a new pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.
Ben Cohen, who co-founded the company alongside Jerry Greenfield, announced how he plans to personally create the controversial product as part of an individual series showcasing causes the company has been prevented from speaking out about.
Ongoing Conflict Between Founders versus Corporate Owner
This latest development escalates the continuing tension between the world-famous ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the British consumer goods giant that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.
The co-founders maintain how Unilever and their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".
The Fruit Flavor as an Emblem for Support
Mr. Cohen stated through an Instagram video that he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, asking for public suggestions regarding the product's name plus additional components.
“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated from his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored ice cream that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians and calls for repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”
The watermelon has emerged as an emblem for support for Palestinians because of its coloration, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.
Previous Activism plus Recent Developments
Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in territories under Israeli control, leading to Unilever transferring the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing continued sales in disputed territories.
The new dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that was first established several years back for endorsing ex- political contender Senator Sanders with the product "Bernie's Back".
Management Changes plus Upcoming Plans
Mr. Cohen indicated that he will create other frozen dessert varieties that address issues that the company was silenced from speaking about openly by Unilever.
This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at the company recently, following many years of involvement, citing worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been undermined following Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.
At that time, Mr. Cohen commented that "Jerry has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."
“My conscience leads me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for its independence so that the company can fulfill the social mission, the principles that it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told media outlets.
- Parent company limitations regarding political advocacy
- Independent product development by company founders
- Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
- Ongoing tensions among parent company and ethical values