The ice cream brand's Co-Founder Claims Unilever Prevented Pro-Palestinian Ice Cream Product

The original creators behind the famous frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced that corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who established the company with Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he will personally create the controversial flavor as part of a personal series showcasing issues the company has been barred from speaking out about.

Ongoing Conflict Between Creators and Parent Company

The recent announcement escalates the continuing conflict between the world-famous ice cream maker with Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

Both founders have claimed how the parent company along with its ice cream arm the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's against "honouring its social mission".

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem for Support

The entrepreneur stated through an Instagram video that he's developing a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, requesting public suggestions regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen declared from his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored ice cream that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem for support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, that match those of Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism and Recent Changes

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of its products in territories under Israeli control, leading to the parent company selling their Israel business to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution in disputed territories.

This upcoming product line will be developed under Ben's Best, the socially conscious ice cream brand which was first established several years back to support ex- political contender Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts plus Future Plans

The founder stated how he plans to create other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by Unilever.

The announcement follows partner Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's in September, after many years of involvement, citing worries regarding how its independence had been compromised after corporate moves to curb their advocacy work.

Previously, Mr. Cohen stated how "Jerry has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience leads me to keep working within the organization to fight for corporate autonomy so that it can actualise the social mission, the principles that it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told media outlets.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Independent product development by original creators
• Watermelon flavor as political symbol
• Continuing disagreements between parent company versus social mission