Article originally published here.
When we heard the news that famed ice cream brand Ben and Jerry’s was planning to launch a flavor to “fight climate change,” we were absolutely over the moon. The 37-year-old company, which was founded in Burlington, Vermont is known for being both environmentally and socially aware, so we were hoping for some big things from them. In 1989, they were one of the first companies to remove growth hormones from their dairy products and in 2001 they adopted an eco-friendly container, made from unbleached cardboard. Back in 2005, when Congress first proposed to drill in the Arctic, they protested out in front of the U.S. Capitol building by making a 900 pound baked Alaska. So with the introduction of “Save Our Swirled,” we anticipated that the company would launch a truly sustainable product without dairy.
Unfortunately, Ben and Jerry’s had other plans and instead used the new flavor as a mere label to raise awareness for climate change. But the push for a dairy-free ice cream option continued – over 30,000 signatures were added to a Change.Org petition asking Ben and Jerry’s to create a vegan option. And soon enough, the company came out with another announcement that they had plans to unleash a new vegan option in 2016!
Since then, many have waited eagerly to learn more about when – and most importantly what flavor – the new ice cream would launch. Much to many-an-ice-cream-lovers delight, Ben and Jerry’s finally disclosed that their dairy-free pints would be made using almond milk. Although further details on the flavor or names of the new products haven’t been released, we have a feeling that they won’t disappoint.
In a statement responding to why it was taking the company so long to come out with their vegan line, they replied: “Simply because we want our ice cream to be the best ever, and when you’re doing something new, that means a lot of, ahem, testing.”
We can’t say we feel too sorry for those ice cream testers tasked with the job of nibbling on chocolate and fruit swirled almond ice cream all day!
While Ben and Jerry’s dairy-free option is sure to be a hit amongst dessert lovers everywhere, their choice to do so is indicative of much larger trends happening in the food space. As more people search out dairy-free options for everything from milk to cheese, it only seems logical that the industry would respond by creating amazing products that appeal to the masses. Cutting down on dairy and other animal products has multitudinous benefits for the health of people, the planet, and ultimately animals as well. So with the release of this new flavor, you can go ahead and help yourself to another scoop of ice cream and take comfort in the fact that you’re doing something fantastic for the world around you!
Click here to see the full list of flavours in the new range.