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One of the co-founders behind the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has announced how parent company Unilever blocked the launch for a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the business alongside his partner, announced how he will independently develop this new product as part of an individual collection showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's has been barred from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Between Creators and Corporate Owner

This latest development intensifies the continuing tension among the world-famous dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders have asserted that the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's against "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming a Symbol of Support

The entrepreneur announced via social media that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for consumer ideas regarding naming options and potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared from a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian people due to its coloration, that mirror the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism and Recent Changes

Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in the parent company selling their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within disputed territories.

The new product line is being created through Ben's Best, the socially conscious dessert company that was first created in 2016 for endorsing former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes and Future Intentions

The founder revealed that he will create additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that the company was silenced from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's in September, following decades of involvement, citing concerns regarding how the company's autonomy had been compromised following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated how “My partner has a really big heart and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to fight for its independence ensuring that the company can achieve the social mission, the values that established its foundation and has maintained for decades," he explained to media outlets.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Personal flavor creation by company founders
• Watermelon flavor as social statement
• Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership and ethical values