🔗 Share this article

One of the co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has claimed that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate stopped the launch of a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business alongside his partner, revealed how he will independently develop this new flavor within a personal series highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's has been barred from speaking out about.

Longstanding Conflict Between Founders and Parent Company

The recent development deepens the continuing tension between the internationally recognized ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have claimed how Unilever and their ice cream division the Magnum brand improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Flavor as an Emblem of Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed via an Instagram video how he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, asking for consumer ideas for the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” the founder commented in a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, which mirror those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism plus Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of its products in areas under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever transferring their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales in disputed territories.

This upcoming product line is being developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious dessert company which originally created in 2016 to support former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Management Shifts plus Upcoming Intentions

The founder indicated that he will create other frozen dessert varieties that address concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking about openly due to Unilever.

The announcement comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years with the organization, citing worries regarding how the company's autonomy had been undermined following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience compels me to continue to work inside the company to fight for its independence so that it can fulfill the social mission, the values which it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations regarding political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation by original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Ongoing tensions among parent company versus social mission