ben & jerry's desecrated

[next2u]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ben___jerry_s_all_natural

Ben & Jerry's to drop 'All Natural' from labels
Mon Sep 27, 6:03 pm ET

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is dropping the phrase "all natural" from all labels after a request from a health advocacy group.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the company confirmed the move Monday.

The CSPI told the company last month it should not use "all natural" if products contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil or other ingredients that are not natural.

Ben & Jerry's, a unit of consumer products giant Unilever, said it's not changing any recipes. It's just removing the label from all products, whether they are among the majority that contain at least one of the ingredients CSPI listed or not.

The Food & Drug Administration has no formal definition for "natural." But it won't object to term as long as products do not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.

The CSPI, based in Washington, said the government should define the term.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ben___jerry_s_all_natural

"The Food and Drug Administration could do consumers and food manufacturers a great service by actually defining when the word 'natural' can and cannot be used to characterize a given ingredient," CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson said in a statement.

Ben & Jerry's spokesman Sean Greenwood said the change would happen gradually across Ben & Jerry's product line.

The ingredients will be the same ones Ben & Jerry's has always used, but the company no longer wants to battle over the definition of "all natural," which has different meanings to different people, Greenwood said.

"Ben & Jerry's has always been a company that tried to source as responsibly as possible, label our products accordingly and let it all out there for people to see," he said. "But this takes away any misconceptions for people."


~~ those bastards, how could they do this to my beloved company. b & j (or as mtd, miss p, hell & ann would put it -- bjs  ) has gotten me through some pretty tough times. a couple of dollops of ice cream & nina simone is like balm for an aching soul. and the skinny girl in me wants to believe that all natural label means it's good for me and has less calories (or calories that are easier to burn, your choice).

bastards...

[bocker3]

The important thing to focus on is..........  they ain't changing anything in their recipes.

When I was a young(er) lad, just off to the good ol' University of Vermont -- way back in 1982, I stumbled upon this local ice cream place called Ben & Jerry's.  I thought I had found nirvana.  They made some of their flavors right there in the store (this wasn't their original store -- which was an old gas station, but their second place).  It was fantastic.  They used to come into the UVM dorms to talk about their business (yes, I've chatted with Ben and Jerry a few times).  When they came to talk, they came with a Vermonster (or two, or three).
I loved those days whne B&J were my own little secret -- of course now they don't own their company any more, but I can tell you that they are two of the most interesting people you could ever meet and have a chat.

Ben & Jerry helped me quit smoking back in '93 -- I went from a pack a day to a single-serving pint a day.  Of course, I also added 50lbs to myself, but I have never smoked again.

Mike

[mecch]

If it is a luxury product there is probably a way to eliminate hydrogenated vegetable oil and corn syrup.  Since its ice cream, hardly health food, I dont see much difference between natural cocoa and dutch-process, they probably use the dutch-process because its milk and cream based product and it makes a smoother, creamier less acidic taste.  People aren't eating Ben & Jerry's for the healthy flavonoids.

I would guess that the "original" versions before it became a food industry product, did not contain corn syrup.  Probably no hydrogenated oils either (expect maybe in some mix in product).   Pity they don't take these out now.

[next2u]

i love ben and jerrys and anyone who would attack them are downright evil.