Super-Premium Ice Cream

The ice cream industry includes economy, premium, premium plus, and super premium market segments. Ben & Jerry's ice cream is part of the super premium category, the highest quality market segment. This category is characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream. (As Ben & Jerry would say, "Less bunk, more chunk!") Ben & Jerry's ice cream is richer and creamier than other ice creams. We use lots of fresh Vermont cream, milk and pasteurized egg yolks. Because we're using egg yolks, technically, we make what's known as a "French" ice cream. Eggs act as an emulsifying agent, and also help to make the ice cream creamier. Pure cane sugar is the only sweetener used in our original ice cream line.

Nothing but Natural Milk - Just Say No to Growth Hormones!

The dairy products in our ice cream come from cows that are NOT treated with Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (RGBH), also known as rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin), which has been an unknowing staple in dairy products consumed by Americans.

We think cows are beautiful animals and they deserve our respect. But mostly, we think cows should be allowed to produce milk and cream without being shot up with rBGH, a genetically engineered growth hormone used to increase milk production. It’s clear to us that rBGH is a step in the wrong direction toward a synthetic, factory-produced food supply

Ben & Jerry's purchases our milk from a dairy cooperative in Vermont that pays the dairy farmers more for their milk to insure that the cows are well treated, not treated with growth hormones or antibiotics to increase milk production. Can any other ice cream company say that?

For more information about what makes our dairy products different, visit: http://www.benjerry.com/activism/inside-the-pint/dairy/

Creating a Super Premium Ice Cream

Our ice cream is heavier than most because our production freezers have been modified to create a product with less air whipped into it. The amount of air whipped into ice cream is called its "overrun." If you pick up pint of an economy brand ice cream and compare it to ANY Ben & Jerry’s flavor, you’ll be able to feel the difference immediately.

Our ice cream is all-natural. We use no preservatives, chemical stabilizers or artificial ingredients with the exception of some candies (for example, Heath Bars™, which themselves contain some artificial ingredients). The flavorings used by Ben & Jerry's include premium-quality extracts and fruits, nutmeats, chocolates, liqueurs, cookies and candies.

How come our Mint Chocolate Chunk ice cream isn’t green? We get asked this question all the time. We don’t use any artificial colors in any of our ice cream flavors. This means that our mint ice cream is white – the natural color after the ice cream is produced. Just close your eyes for a second when you take your first bite and let the natural minty flavor explode in your mouth! If you really need your mint ice cream to be green – just roll it in the grass (not really recommended).

Three all-natural stabilizers (Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum and Carrageenan) are used to help protect the ice cream from texture defects that can occur when the ice cream is subjected to heat shocks or variations in temperature. Guar Gum is made from the Guar bean. Carrageenan is a gum extracted from seaweed. Xanthan Gum is derived from fermented sugars. All of the stabilizers increase viscosity and prevent ice crystallization.

The combination of the above three factors (high butterfat content, low overrun and all-natural ingredients) places Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the super-premium market segment of the ice cream industry.

Ben & Jerry's is distinguished from other super premium ice creams such as Haagen Dazs™ by our marketing philosophy, which emphasizes a down home funkiness, the image of cows and Vermont, the two real and accessible founders of our company and our growing reputation as a socially responsible business. We further distinguish ourselves from other super premiums by our unique flavors.

Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt: Our frozen yogurt has between 2.0% - 6.0% of fat per 4 ounce serving. The fat content varies from flavor to flavor.

Ben & Jerry's Low Fat Frozen Yogurt: Ben & Jerry's produces a low fat frozen yogurt. Our flavors with 3% or less are labeled "Low Fat" according to FDA guidelines.

Ben & Jerry's Sorbet: Our fruit ice is a water-based frozen dessert that has no cholesterol, no lactose, and no fat.