Ben & Jerry's complies with CSPI request

Ben & Jerry's complies with CSPI request
Tags: Food & Beverage, Health & Nutrition, Packaging
September 27, 2010

The makers of Ben & Jerry's ice cream have agreed to drop "all natural" from its retail label after receiving the request from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

CSPI said that the "all natural" claim should not be used if products contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil or other ingredients that are not natural.

According to a story on Yahoo! News, Ben & Jerry's no longer wants to battle over the definition of "all natural." The Food and Drug Administration has not defined the term.

A Ben & Jerry's spokesman said the company is not changing any of the ingredients used to makes its premium ice cream and the label change will gradually occur throughout its product line.

Should Ben & Jerry's change their label? Add your comments below.

Reader Comments

Michael Calcaterra

about 20 months ago

Sorry to mix my metaphors, if you hang out with loons, expect lunacy. CPSI are serious left wing whack jobs.
Tom Colameco

about 20 months ago

Both Ben and Jerry's, and the CPSI should be congratulated for being pro-active on product labeling issues that have the potential of misleading the consumer. The FDA and the USDA should also update their labeling policies on "all natural" a term that has and is being used incorretly by a number of companies.
Geoffrey Meek

about 20 months ago

If they are correct, which is very rare, then it is proper to modify.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is an organization
that has NO interest in or capability of true scientific practice.
It seems that their main interest is becoming important in the
lives of Americans. Most Professional food people generally
ignore them as a self-aggrandizing annoyance.
Geoffrey Meek

about 20 months ago

If they are correct, which is very rare, then it is proper to modify.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is an organization
that has NO interest in or capability of true scientific practice.
It seems that their main interest is becoming important in the
lives of Americans. Most Professional food people generally
ignore them as a self-aggrandizing annoyance.
Geoffrey Meek

about 20 months ago

If they are correct, which is very rare, then it is proper to modify.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is an organization
that has NO interest in or capability of true scientific practice.
It seems that their main interest is becoming important in the
lives of Americans. Most Professional food people generally
ignore them as a self-aggrandizing annoyance.
Michael Calcaterra

about 20 months ago

@Tome Colameco

Tom, this is not a victory for clarity. It is a victory for ideologues seeking an insignificant victory against a high profile company. "All Natural" is and always will be a statement without meaning. A Chevy is "All Natural" for crying out loud. All of its parts come from natural substances. We cannot label against stupidity.
Albert Samuels

about 20 months ago

A definite YES! Ben & Jerry's, and every other food manufacturer, knows without a doubt that "All Natural" does not mean "Partly Natural with Some Additional Unnatural Ingredients." They simply got caught lying -- nothing more. Although the FDA needs to define what "All Natural" means, it is nonsense for any food manufacturer to use this as their defense for why they claim to be "All Natural" while not completely using all natural ingredients.

Sorry B&J, 'No longer wanting to battle' only means you have no reason to fight. You were wrong!

And by the way, Michael, who cares what "wing" CPSI is on? Though CPSI may not be right or have the right intentions every time, right is right and wrong is wrong and they are right for going after any food manufacturer who claims one thing and delivers another. Furthermore, as Americans, we must move away from wings and parties. Without doing so, the government will never be "for the people," but for their parties. We've seen it way too many times.

--
Albert Samuels
eatinfood.wordpress.com
Michael Calcaterra

about 20 months ago

@Albert Samuels

Again, I care not that they cling to the left. I care that they are ideologues. Take a look at Webster's on the word "natural". There are at least 15 quite different definitions. If the milk for the ice cream isn't volunteered by the cow and squirted into a bucket without human intervention and then churns itself - perhaps the cow would do that as well - the product will FAIL at least a couple of the definitions. Natural is a null word. This decision by B & J is that it isn't worth fighting the self-righteous CPIC and to find another method of marketing it's product.
Albert Samuels

about 20 months ago

I have to get back to work, but I'll make this last comment.

Though “natural” may be a “null word” to some and I understand where Michael is coming from, in the minds of the most, “natural,” when referring to food, does not mean high fructose corn syrup, ingredients no one can pronounce, or any other ingredient that has gone through multiple processes. If we allow this, then soon Red 40 will be considered "all natural."

Ben & Jerry's tried to use the lack of a FDA definition to their advantage and got caught. It's as simple as that.