🔗 Share this article

The original creators behind the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has stated how parent company Unilever stopped the introduction of a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that established the business with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed how he plans to personally create this new flavor within an individual collection highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Founders versus Parent Company

The recent announcement escalates the continuing conflict among the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods giant that acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.

The co-founders have claimed how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's against "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming an Emblem of Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed through social media that he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name and additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder commented in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that was done there.”

This particular fruit has emerged as a symbol for solidarity with Palestinians because of its colors, that closely resemble the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Activism plus Current Changes

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in territories under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company transferring their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Ben's Best, the activist dessert company that originally established several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts plus Upcoming Plans

Mr. Cohen stated that he will create additional ice cream flavors focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from the company recently, after decades with the organization, citing worries that its independence had been undermined following Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.

Previously, Mr. Cohen commented that "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for its independence so that it can achieve the social mission, the principles that established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he told journalists.

• Parent company limitations regarding political advocacy
• Personal product development from company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Ongoing disagreements among corporate ownership versus ethical values