Ben & Jerry's launches vegan line
Ben & Jerry's is ditching the cow for its latest line of ice cream.
The South Burlington, Vt.- based company known for its outrageous flavors launched four vegan ice creams Wednesday. The ice creams — technically called "frozen dessert" because ice cream has to have a certain amount of milkfat — are made from an almond milk base and will roll out to grocery stores over the next four to six weeks.
The new options are meant to appeal to a customer base that's either vegan or chooses not to consume dairy products, two groups that have been very vocal with Ben & Jerry's about their preferences, says spokeswoman Lindsay Bumps.
"We've definitely had a large demand from our consumers to have a non-dairy offering," she says. The announcement comes after a change.org petition calling on Ben & Jerry's to create non-dairy ice creams garnered more than 28,400 supporters last year. The company has been testing vegan versions of its famous pints for nearly three years.
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Two of the new flavors are non-dairy versions of Ben & Jerry's classics — Chunky Monkey and Chocolate Fudge Brownie — while the other two are exclusive to the vegan line, P.B. & Cookies and Coffee Caramel Fudge. All four will be available to purchase as pints, while P.B. & Cookies will also be available in Ben & Jerry's shops.
Of the 3.4% of U.S. adults who are vegetarian, nearly 15% identify as vegan, according to a poll conducted by The Vegetarian Resource Group last year. Still, vegan products have grown in popularity because they appeal to more than just those who consider themselves vegan, says Charles Stahler, co-director of the group. Soy milk and almond milk, for example, have taken over more refrigerator space in grocery stores because they also cater to those that are lactose intolerant or don't eat dairy due to allergies, health reasons, religious reasons or environmental reasons, he says.
The first four Ben & Jerry's flavors are just the tip of the ice(cream)berg too: Ben & Jerry's plans to roll out more options in the future, Bumps says.
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