The ice cream brand's Co-Founder Claims Parent Company Blocked Palestine-Themed Frozen Dessert Product

One of the co-founders behind the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has stated that parent company Unilever stopped the launch for an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, that co-founded the business alongside his partner, revealed how he plans to independently develop this new flavor as part of an individual series highlighting issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Creators and Corporate Owner

The recent development deepens the ongoing conflict between the internationally recognized ice cream maker and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have claimed how the parent company along with its ice cream arm Magnum improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "honouring its social mission".

Watermelon Flavor as a Symbol of Solidarity

Mr. Cohen revealed through an Instagram video that he is creating a new watermelon-based frozen dessert, asking for consumer ideas regarding naming options and additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

This particular fruit has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians because of its colors, which match the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Current Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of its products in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in the parent company transferring the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand which originally created in 2016 to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts and Upcoming Plans

Mr. Cohen stated how he will create other frozen dessert varieties focusing on issues that Ben & Jerry's was silenced from speaking about openly by Unilever.

This development comes after partner Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at the company in September, after decades of involvement, mentioning concerns regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined following Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen remarked how "Jerry has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that the company can actualise its ethical purpose, the values that established its foundation and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to media outlets.

• Corporate owner limitations on political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation from original creators
• Watermelon flavor as social statement
• Continuing tensions among corporate ownership versus ethical values