Surprise Cream

Owner of the famous cow Woody, who appears on every package sold worldwide, Ben & Jerry’s has always set itself apart by highlighting the importance of its suppliers and the quality of the ingredients used in its production. Opposing the use of chemicals and artificial hormones in cows, Ben & Jerry’s ensured that all its suppliers were socially responsible and fair, even when sourcing such ingredients came at a high cost. As a company that consistently promoted ice cream made from organic products, its connection to consciously run farms was well recognised by the community.

However, when a small, homegrown brand like Ben & Jerry’s expands its sales to a global scale and is acquired by a multinational corporation, expectations around conscious production — and the brand’s ability to keep up with demand — inevitably change.

Despite several products being labelled as “Caring Dairy with Free Grazing” and, according to the brand, sourced from a European programme involving around 400 organic farms, studies revealed that roughly 59 of those farms did not meet the required standards. This information exposed that part of the milk purchased by the brand does not, in fact, come from the organic farms registered in the programme. Moreover, its origin and production cannot be considered organic, as they fail to meet the agreement and mandatory standards the brand claims to follow.

Thus, the flavour Surprise Cream is born from this mysterious milk and from the dishonesty Ben & Jerry’s displays regarding its sourcing practices.