One of the original creators of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever prevented the introduction for a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.
The entrepreneur, who co-founded the business with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed that he will personally create this new flavor as part of an individual series highlighting causes the company has been barred from speaking out about.
This latest announcement intensifies the continuing conflict among the world-famous ice cream maker with Unilever, the British consumer goods giant that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.
Both founders have asserted how Unilever and their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented Ben & Jerry's from "honouring its social mission".
Mr. Cohen stated via an Instagram video that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, asking for consumer ideas regarding naming options and potential ingredients.
“I'm doing what they couldn't,” Mr. Cohen declared in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”
This particular fruit has emerged as an emblem of support for Palestinians due to its coloration, that closely resemble those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.
Several years ago, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever selling the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within disputed territories.
This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company which was first established several years back for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".
Mr. Cohen indicated that he will develop other frozen dessert varieties that address issues which Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly by Unilever.
This development follows co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down his position at the company in September, after many years with the organization, mentioning concerns regarding how its independence was undermined following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.
At that time, Mr. Cohen commented that “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."
"My heart leads me to continue to work 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 decades," he told media outlets.
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
