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

One of the co-founders of the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced that parent company Unilever prevented the introduction for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, that co-founded the company with his partner, announced how he will personally create the controversial product within a personal collection highlighting causes the company was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Founders versus Corporate Owner

The recent announcement escalates the ongoing tension among the world-famous dessert company with its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods giant which has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders have claimed that Unilever and their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented their company from "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Flavor becoming an Emblem of Support

The entrepreneur announced through social media how he's developing a new watermelon-based sorbet, requesting public suggestions regarding naming options plus potential ingredients.

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

The watermelon has become an emblem for solidarity with Palestinians due to its colors, that match the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Current Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in Unilever transferring their Israel business to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting ongoing distribution in disputed territories.

The new dessert series is being developed under Ben's Best, the activist dessert company which originally established in 2016 for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes plus Future Intentions

The founder revealed how he will develop additional frozen dessert varieties that address concerns which Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's in September, following decades with the organization, citing worries that the company's autonomy was undermined after Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that "Jerry has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

“My conscience leads me to keep working inside the company to fight for corporate autonomy so that the company can actualise the social mission, the values which established its foundation and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to media outlets.

• Parent company limitations on social activism
• Independent product development from company founders
• The fruit-based product serving as social statement
• Ongoing tensions among parent company versus ethical values