Ben & Jerry's to drop 'All Natural' from labels

[tandot]

Source: Associated Press

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.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39388749/ns/business-personal_finance/

[JoeyTrib]

1. Alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil--not natural?

Then what are they?

[tandot]

2. "...ingredients that don't exist in nature or have been chemically modified..."

Ben & Jerry's has agreed to phase out use of its "all-natural" claim on labels of ice cream and frozen yogurt that contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and other ingredients that don't exist in nature or have been chemically modified, reports the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

more at http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136499

[JoeyTrib]

4. Oh.

Thanks.

[PoliticAverse]

3. So that dioxin wasn't natural?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EUY/is_33_6/ai_65172380/

[tandot]

5. Thanks for the link: "190 times the "virtually safe" level of dioxin"

"The group, Citizens for the Integrity of Science (CIS), says it has found that a regular serving of Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream has 190 times the "virtually safe" level of dioxin as defined by EPA. "

[glinda]

13. and I thought they didn't use hormoned milk

[Sanity Claws]

6. B&J used corn syrup?

That's news to me. I read labels and never remember seeing corn syrup on its label. I used to see it on Haagen-Daz and stopped getting it.

[onehandle]

8. Corn syrup is somewhat different from high-fructose corn syrup.

The latter goes through some chemistry to super concentrate the 'death sugar' content.

It's probably used as a thickener and is not the primary sweetener.

[diane in sf]

7. They started using corn syrup in Cherry Garcia, very sad, I don't buy it anymore.

[tandot]

9. the light Cherry Garcia is one of my husband's favorite.

I haven't checked the ingredient list of it in a long time.

[PoliticAverse]

10. Cherry Garcia ingredients

According to their website: http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/our-flavors/#product_id=8

Ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Water, Cherries, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Coconut Oil, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cocoa, Fruit And Vegetable Concentrates (Color), Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Butteroil, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin.

[Sanity Claws]

11. No corn syrup

I see the alkalized cocoa but not corn syrup.

I don't have any idea what alkalized cocoa is.

[Duckhunter935]

12. Here

Alkalized Cocoa Powder
Alkalized cocoa powders, sometimes referred to as Dutched, come from cocoa nibs and/or chocolate liquor that have been treated with mild alkali solutions in order to raise the pH. This alkalizing or dutching process is a safe and approved process for cocoa that is used to modify the color, taste, and functionality of cocoa powder in food products. Alkalization can be used to create a range of dark brown and red-brown colors that add desirable appearances to some food products that contain cocoa powders. Alkalization can improve taste by reducing some of the sourness and bitterness associated with natural cocoa powders. The alkalization of cocoa powder can also improve the solubility of cocoa powder in certain beverage applications.

http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition-professionals/cocoa-powder/composition/natural-alkalized.aspx

[nilram]

16. Hm, I'm going to the grocery, I'll check this out in person...

[PoliticAverse]

17. Make sure...

you bring enough back for all of us...

[tandot]

18. let us know what you found

Thanks :hi:

[nilram]

23. it was just like the web site said, no corn syrup

I expected to see that Unilver web site was incorrect.

[tandot]

25. Thanks for checking, Nilram.

I haven't heard if alkalized cocoa is bad for you. However, partially hydrogenated oils are an absolute no-no for me and I also don't buy anything with high-fructose corn syrup (although research isn't too clear on that one).

[nilram]

22. I was expecting to say that Unilver's web site was lyin...

but the containers on the shelf say exactly that. No corn syrup or corn sugar, high-fructose or otherwise.

edited for spelling

[PADemD]

24. Yuk! Carrageenan

Since I've eliminated that stuff from my diet, I haven't had any acid reflux.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Who was it that bought out Ben and Jerry's.

Unilever, I think.
I stopped eating ice cream several years ago, had stopped Ben and Jerry's when they sold out to the conglomerate.

[PoliticAverse]

15. Yes Unilever bought them in 2000

http://www.benjerry.com/company/media-center/press/join-forces.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever
http://www.unilever.com/brands/

[kirby]

19. Its says right in the original post...

'a unit of consumer products giant Unilever', so you are correct.

[eShirl]

20. we can make our own versions of their ice cream and be sure what's in it

http://www.amazon.com/Jerrys-Homemade-Cream-Dessert-Book/dp/0894803123

[MelissaB]

21. I bought that book a while back and wasn't disappointed at all.

Yum!