Magnum Ice Cream Company has announced that the chair of Ben & Jerry’s board no longer meets the criteria to serve following internal investigations. This latest development marks another chapter in the ongoing conflict between the two frozen treats giants.
In a recent SEC filing, Magnum revealed that it had informed the Ben & Jerry’s board about the results of its investigation and is considering its options based on the response it receives from the Cherry Garcia maker. The specifics of the investigation were not disclosed, but Anuradha Mittal, the founder of the human rights think tank Oakland Institute, was identified as overseeing the board on Ben & Jerry’s website.
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, expressed his concerns about the move, stating that it is a deliberate attempt to strip the Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board of the legal authority it was guaranteed when Unilever acquired the brand in 2000. The unique merger agreement reached 25 years ago allowed Ben & Jerry’s to maintain an independent board of directors to uphold its social mission, brand integrity, and product quality. However, Unilever/Magnum’s actions are seen as eroding those protections and targeting individuals like Mittal who stand up for what’s right.
Unilever, the parent company of Magnum, is in the process of spinning out its ice cream business into a separate company. The separation, originally scheduled for this month, has been postponed to December 8 due to the U.S. government shutdown. Magnum, with $9.3 billion in revenue last year, will become the world’s largest ice cream company once it separates from Unilever, with a significant portion of its sales coming from the U.S. market.
This conflict is just the latest in a series of disagreements between Magnum/Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s. Ben & Jerry’s has accused Unilever of silencing its ability to speak out on social issues, including demands to stop criticizing President Donald Trump and restrictions on advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. Earlier this year, there was a dispute over whether Unilever fired Ben & Jerry’s CEO for supporting the brand’s social mission.
In September, co-founder Jerry Greenfield announced his resignation from Ben & Jerry’s after nearly five decades, citing Unilever’s failure to uphold its promise of allowing the brand to speak out on progressive social issues. The deepening divide between the two companies highlights the challenges of balancing corporate ownership with social responsibility in the food industry.
