Jerry quits Ben & Jerry's

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Business

Updated Sep 17, 2025, 7:36 AM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 17, 2025, 3:17 AM ET


Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit the ice cream brand he started in 1978 amid a dispute with its British owner Unilever, according a post by the company’s other co-founder, Ben Cohen.

Cohen shared a statement from Greenfield that said quitting was “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” he has made. He accused Unilever of curtailing Ben & Jerry’s ability to speak out on social and political causes – which became synonymous with the brand’s identity. “It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s,” he added.

Greenfield and Cohen sold their Vermont-based ice cream company to Unilever in 2000 and, according to Greenfield, were guaranteed the “independence to pursue (their) values.” But the brand’s relationship with Unilever eroded over the years. The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which is being spun off from Unilever, said the company has tried to work with the brand’s co-founders.

“We disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” a Magnum spokesperson said in a statement. Tensions between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company boiled over in 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s ended its sales in occupied Palestinian territories, saying it’s inconsistent with the values of the socially conscious brand. That triggered backlash from Israel and kicked off a battle with Unilever over the brand’s independence.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/business/jerry-greenfield-quits-ice-cream-brand-intl-hnk

[mucifer]

1. What did he expect when selling the brand to unilever?

[mdbl]

2. His greed spoke for his values

He thought he could have his ice cream and eat it too.

[IbogaProject]

7. Actually the board sold it

Ben & Jerry opposed selling to Unilever. That is an issue when a company takes outside shareholders. Steve Jobs got kicked out of Apple in the 1980s.

[Bengus81]

10. And if the Tesla BOD had a brain in it's head they'd shit can Eloon

He's doesn't hold anywhere near a majority of shares.

[Bluetus]

18. Musk has hand-picked every tesla board member.

And they are all just as bad as he is. Not an ounce of principles on the entire board.

[Polybius]

37. He just bought $1 billion more Tesla shares yesterday

While you are correct that he still doesn't hold anywhere near a majority of shares, he is light years ahead of the person with the second most amount of shares.

[mdbl]

31. So, we'll blame Wall Street then.

I fail to see the difference after a company goes public.

[Easterncedar]

3. It was a good 25 years

[OC375]

4. Retire

You have plenty of cash for several lifetimes. Spend some on activism if you like. It’s not your company anymore.

[CTyankee]

5. I am so over Ben and Jerry's. I mean politically. They were a thing of their time. To expect any different just isn't

rational, IMO.

I am an ice cream addict but I go for flavor and good quality. I "pair" it with pie, for instance, kinda like pairing a wine with a specific dish. I eat it once a day and it's a treat!

[rubbersole]

11. What's your favorite brand now?

In Edgewater, FL we have the brand Mayfield Creamery available and my fat ass wishes we didn't. (I've been able to restrain myself for 6 months. So far.)

[CTyankee]

12. Any rich dark chocolate sends me into ecstasy. I actually pair chocolate with a scoop of fruited ice cream

Cherries Garcia was once a thing. Cherry and chocolate go well together. Sometimes Strawberry. Black Cherry is good!

Don't get me started....

[niyad]

14. Kroger Private Selection Black Raspberry Dark Chocolate Chunk!

With a bit of whipped cream so my kitty can share (the whipped cream only!!!).

[rhiannon55]

15. That is my favorite ice cream brand and flavor!

I buy it way too often. Yum!

[niyad]

19. That, and the mango sorbet! hmmm, let the sorbet soften, add tequila. .

[cannabis_flower]

17. I like

Kroger Death By Chocolate

[niyad]

20. Will have to look for that one.

[cannabis_flower]

35. They have it in both

Regular and low sugar (or maybe it was low fat, I can’t remember).

[niyad]

43. The concept of "low-fat" ice cream cracks me up, as does "low-fat"

buttermilk, a clear oxymoron.

[cannabis_flower]

36. Damn

https://www.change.org/p/reinstate-the-much-loved-death-by-chocolate-ice-cream-at-kroger

A few months back, in an inconceivable turn of events, Kroger discontinued this masterpiece. Shockwaves rippled through households. The freezer section hasn't been the same since.

Our collective voice grows stronger with each passing day. We yearn for the nostalgic taste of our favorite ice cream and refuse to remain silent in the face of this culinary injustice. Together, we speak up to bring back the world's most amazing flavor - "Death By Chocolate!"

Kroger, we urge you to consider the heart-felt longing of your valued customers. Reinstate "Death by Chocolate" and return joy to our various homes and dessert bowls. Please sign and share this petition to let Kroger know exactly how much we miss "Death By Chocolate." Together, we can bring it back!

[niyad]

42. Well, that just sucks. But then, kroger does some really stupid things.

[electric_blue68]

21. Oooo, sounds wonderful! .....

Talenti Gelato has a double dark chocolate with vermouth and dark chocolate chip shards.
Plus they also have w/o the vermouth a blackraspberry with the dark chocolate chip shards.
While I prefer chocolate, the black raspberry is very good!

Don't really like the vermouth much, but it's not overwhelming, so I sort of ignore it. Luckily the other flavors are stronger.

I don't think there's a Kroger's near me.
Enjoy!

[niyad]

23. Will have to check out the Talenti's. Usually pretty pricey.

kroger, king soopers, city market, fry's, etc.

[BumRushDaShow]

25. I just discovered Talenti back in July

There was a sale on it at my supermarket (Acme) and yum! I tried their gelato. The Vanilla Caramel Swirl.

[niyad]

27. I am familiar with them, just have to wait for decent sales!

[BumRushDaShow]

28. And that is when I tried it - when it was on sale!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

40. Owned by Unliever just like Ben and Jerry's.

[BumRushDaShow]

44. Monopolies

although some monopolies are starting to break up again so stay tuned!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

39. Talenti is owned by Unilever. FYI.

[maxsolomon]

30. Yeah, but Kroger.

Kroger sucks.

[niyad]

33. not as much as safeway, and it is easily accessible.

[electric_blue68]

38. According to Kroger's own site there aren't any stores in NYS/C

Goes from (alphabetically) from ?Mississippi right to Ohio.

[Cirsium]

26. You dont want to know

I have watched how the cherries are prepared for cherry ice cream. Soaked in brine, bleached, then artificially colored and flavored. Get real cherries - fresh, frozen, canned or dried - and add them to the cream. Those processed fake cherries are the worst part of the cherry industry here.

Brined cherries are properly matured whole cherries of similar varietal characteristics packed in a solution of sulfur dioxide of sufficient strength to preserve the cherries. Hardening agents usually are added to the solution.

After four to six weeks of storage, brined cherries are ready for finishing. They are removed from the brine and rinsed in water and graded. The cherries are then pitted and stemmed, although in some instances stems are left on the cherries intentionally, to make the cocktail style. The pitted fruit is leached in running water to remove most of the sulfur dioxide.

The cherries are then dyed, preferably with an insoluble food dye such as erythrosine (known as FD&C Red No. 3). Other dyes approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can also be used. Erythrosine is soluble at a pH of 4.5 or higher and precipitates in the tissue of fruit at lower pH so that the color will not leach out or "bleed" to color other fruits with which the cherries may be used, as in the case of canned fruit salad. The pH adjustment can be made with sodium bicarbonate to increase and with citric acid to decrease the pH. The cherries are boiled for about 20 minutes in a 0. 025% to 0.050% erythrosine solution of pH 4.5 or higher. Use enough solution to cover all the cherries.

After cherries and dye solution have cooled and have stood together for 24 hours, 0.25% to 0.50% citric acid by weight is added to bring the pH of the solution to 4.2, and the boiling and standing procedures are repeated in order to set the dye. The cherries are then rinsed in water to remove all dye particles from the surface and pit cavities. The dyed cherries are now boiled in a 30° Brix sirup for 5 to 10 minutes and then are left to stand for 24 hours, during which time the syrup is absorbed. The syrup is removed by draining and sugar is added to it to increase the Brix reading to 40°. Repeat the boiling and standing procedures to build up the sugar content in the cherries. The syrup is drained again, sufficient sugar is added to restore the syrup concentration back to 40° Brix, and imitation cherry flavor is added.

https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/downloads/t435gd24k

[adnoid]

34. Appreciate the details, but...

Eeew.

[RazorbackExpat]

41. When I still lived in the US,

my favorite ice cream was Blue Bunny Strawberry Swirl

?odnHeight=573&odnWidth=573&odnBg=FFFFFF

[mdbl]

32. I love ice cream but only buy organic

Fats in humans and animals hold a lot of pesticides and hormones. The less in there the better.

[AloeVera]

6. Never criticize Trump or Israel is the message here.

Last year, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, accusing the parent company of censoring its public statements to support Palestinian refugees and resolutions to end military aid to Israel. In January, the ice cream company alleged that Unilever “unilaterally barred” a post referencing abortion, climate change and universal healthcare because it mentioned President Donald Trump. In March, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of breaching its merger agreement for ousting its then-CEO David Stever over the brand’s public comments on progressive issues.

Unilever has rejected all of Ben & Jerry’s claims.

“For more than twenty years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice, and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,” Greenfield wrote. “It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”

[4th]

9. The message is ..

... they sold out because the brand was losing money.

[Wonder Why]

8. I never liked the whole concept of Ben & Jerry's "donations" of a portion of their profits.

To me, it's just another scam so I have always avoided buying their product.

It's one thing to have your prices in line with everyone else and offer to donate a "portion" to charity (provided that "portion" is clearly stated and is honest. After all, if it's a portion of income, that is good. If it is a portion of profits, that is a number easily manipulated. One can always pay out tons in executive salaries and bonuses to insure minuscule profits to share. A real donation is a good thing.

On the other hand, to price your product at the top and then "donate" money is, IMHO, just a fake. B&J makes good ice cream but their prices are far more than many others so they are just using the donation thing to generate buzz and make even bigger profits than others. I can sell my $1 item for $2, tell everyone I donate 25% to charity, and make $,.50 more than everyone else. The best part is that I also get the credit for being a big donor when in fact, it's my customers who are doing the donating and they don't even get the tax write-off or the credit for what they do. Save your money. Buy the less expensive product and do your own donating to the charity of YOUR choice. Let the execs donate THEIR money, not yours.

IMHO, this scam is one step from the "philanthropists" who live like royalty their whole lives, then "donate" money on their death or old age instead of sharing some of what they make with their customers, employees and the needy as they "earn" it.

[Farmer-Rick]

13. Walmart pulls a similar scam

They claim to donate to charitable groups but they collect those donations from their customers and their rank and file employees. People who can little afford to be donating to huge charities.

It never comes from their corporate earnings.

[moniss]

16. I get where you're coming from

however the idea that B&J ice cream is over-priced is not factual. Although I'm not a huge fan of all kinds of things added to my ice cream if you compare them to Haagen-Dazs or any other premium ice cream their prices are in line if not a bit lower given the quality and quantity of the things added to the ice cream. It's kind of the same thing with Newman's Own salad dressings. Kraft or Wishbone may be slightly lower in price but from a taste and quality perspective Kraft is more like motor oil with flavorings while Wishbone is a bit better than Kraft.

Some people in fact claim that B&J pack too much of added things into a container and the ice cream feels secondary. In any event they are very high premium on the ice cream portion itself and the quality/quantity of their added things is high as well. Priced in my local grocers they are about $1.00 higher than HD or less regular price and there are smaller brands that are even higher than B&J but have lower quality/quantity factors for added ingredients as well as the ice cream itself. Local convenience stores do rip off their customers for B&J pints because they charge nearly double the grocery store price. My local chains usually run sales like BOGO etc. on B&J pints about every 6 weeks or so.

[MadameButterfly]

22. I credit Ben & Jerry's for so many socially responsible policies,

like when the CEO couldn't make more than 5x the lowest paid worker. It changed to 17x by the time it sold to Unilever, but still...

I won't be buying Ben and Jerry's any more. The brand is not just ice cream, it's who they were. I can find other good tasting ice cream. I don't need to support a company who censors the people who made it all happen. If they just wanted the money, they shouldn't have bought a socially responsible company and made promises.

[twodogsbarking]

24. Morals and business don't always mix well.

[Qutzupalotl]

29. Ben & Jerry's -- now with 50% more Ben!