🔗 Share this article

The original creators of the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has stated that corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction for a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

The entrepreneur, that established the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, disclosed how he plans to independently develop this new product as part of an individual series highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Creators versus Corporate Owner

This latest development escalates the continuing conflict among the world-famous ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the British packaged goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

The co-founders have asserted how the parent company and their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "honouring its social mission".

Watermelon Sorbet becoming an Emblem for Support

Mr. Cohen stated through an Instagram video how he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas for naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they couldn't,” the founder commented in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored ice cream that advocates for permanent peace in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has emerged as a symbol for solidarity with Palestinians because of its colors, that mirror the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Social Engagement plus Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious dessert company that originally established several years back to support former political contender Bernie Sanders with the product "Bernie's Return".

Leadership Shifts plus Future Plans

The founder indicated how he plans to develop other ice cream flavors focusing on issues which Ben & Jerry's was silenced from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down from the company in September, after decades of involvement, citing concerns regarding how the company's autonomy had been undermined following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen remarked that "Jerry 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 advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can fulfill its ethical purpose, the principles that it was founded on and has maintained for decades," he explained to media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding social activism
• Independent product development by original creators
• Watermelon flavor as social statement
• Ongoing disagreements among corporate ownership versus social mission