Ben and Jerry's will always stand for indulgent super premium desserts: CEO

Ben & Jerry's CEO discusses the company's expansion into indulgent non-dairy desserts, focusing on flavor, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.

Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.

Key Takeaways

Ben & Jerry's is committed to expanding vegan and non-dairy options without compromising on flavor or quality.
Consumer demand for sustainable and health-conscious products is shaping the company's product development.
Indulgence remains central to the brand, even as it addresses environmental and dietary trends.
Transparency and social responsibility are integral to Ben & Jerry's brand identity.
Sourcing and ingredient quality are key focus areas to reduce environmental impact.

What the video covers

Ben & Jerry's is expanding its non-dairy dessert offerings, including a vegan version of its popular Fish Food flavor.
The company started releasing non-dairy flavors in 2016 in response to consumer demand driven by dietary restrictions and environmental awareness.
Ben & Jerry's maintains its commitment to indulgent, super-premium ice cream quality, even in vegan products.
Non-dairy options still have around 400 calories per serving, and the company balances indulgence with consumer interest in healthier and sustainable products.
Sustainability and the carbon footprint of food choices are increasingly important to Ben & Jerry's and its customers.
The company uses a values-based sourcing approach and programs like Caring Dairy to improve ingredient quality and environmental impact.
Ben & Jerry's embraces corporate social responsibility and transparency, even when it may polarize consumers.
The brand aims to wow fans with flavor innovation while addressing climate and health trends.
Ben & Jerry's sees food systems as a major factor in human impact on climate and strives to be mindful in product development.
The company balances its social activism with maintaining its core identity as a leader in indulgent ice cream.

Chapters

Why is Ben & Jerry's expanding into non-dairy desserts?

Ben & Jerry's is expanding non-dairy desserts to meet growing consumer demand driven by dietary restrictions, vegan preferences, and awareness of the carbon footprint of food choices.

How does Ben & Jerry's maintain quality in its vegan ice cream?

The company focuses on creating super-premium, indulgent flavors that match the taste and quality of their dairy products, ensuring vegan options are just as enjoyable for fans.

What role does sustainability play in Ben & Jerry's product development?

Sustainability is a key factor, with the company using values-based sourcing, programs like Caring Dairy, and focusing on reducing the environmental impact of ingredients while balancing indulgence and health trends.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

You might not expect it from an ice cream company, but Ben and Jerry's is in the early stages of a massive push into non-dairy desserts. The Vermont-based brand already made headlines with its Colin Kaepernick-inspired Change the World flavor, a non-dairy ice cream and a nod to Kaepernick, who is vegan. Today, the company is rolling out a vegan version of its most popular flavor, Fish Food. So why the big non-dairy push from a company that features literal cows on its packaging? Here to explain that is Ben and Jerry's CEO Matthew McCarthy, alongside Alexander Canal here with us.

Speaker A

cream and a nod to kaepernick who is vegan today the company rolling out a vegan version of its most popular flavor fish food so why the big non-dairy push from a company that features literal cows on its packaging here to explain that is ben

Speaker A

And Matthew, I mean obviously this is all about growth, right? Offering more products out to people. So why the big push into these non-dairy alternatives now?

Speaker A

this is a big day for us uh you know as a company i like the way you say it it's a company that has a cow on the package and we've been associated with our vermont farmers for for decades now

Speaker A

Uh, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. This is a big day for us. You know, as a company, I like the way you say it. It's a company that has a cow on the package, and we've been associated with our Vermont farmers for decades now.

Speaker A

started to really uh release them and the more we released the more fans said hey for whatever reason dietary restrictions choices uh awareness about carbon footprint of the food choices our fans make they just kept asking for more flavors so

Speaker A

Our fans want all kinds of different ways to get Ben and Jerry's euphoric flavors, and that includes dairy but also includes vegan or non-dairy flavors, which we started really developing a few years ago. In 2016 is when we started to really release them, and the more we released, the more fans said, "Hey, for whatever reason—dietary restrictions, choices, awareness about the carbon footprint of the food choices our fans make"—they just kept asking for more flavors.

Speaker A

be just as yummy as our as our dairy but it's about wowing our fans we want to excite our fans and and keep them really excited about the stuff that we do to to keep our fans happy and the plant-based health kick boom

Speaker A

So our flavor gurus just got after developing more and more of our classic flavors, and Fish Food is one of our classics. To launch that into a vegan version takes a lot of work, actually, to do that and to be just as yummy as our dairy. But it's about wowing our fans. We want to excite our fans and keep them really excited about the stuff that we do to keep our fans happy.

Speaker A

the quality of the ingredients and the healthiness of their products now even your non-dairy options they're still around 400 calories per serving so is there an effort to try and make your ice cream healthier across the board not just your lower calorie

Speaker A

And the plant-based health kick? Boom. That's something that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. But when we do speak to analysts about Beyond Meat, about Impossible Foods, they do say that a way for them to continue to grow, innovate, and hit that jackpot is improving the quality of the ingredients and the healthiness of their products.

Speaker A

of the biggest mega trends that uh that we're seeing i've been in the food business for for a couple of decades now and um i think it's uh you're asking a very apropos question for ben and jerry's we have always and we will continue to

Speaker A

Now, even your non-dairy options, they're still around 400 calories per serving. So is there an effort to try and make your ice cream healthier across the board, not just your lower-calorie options, since this does seem to be something that consumers are craving at the moment?

Speaker A

food it's not designed to be a healthy thing but our focus in creating the same delicious over-the-top uh super premium ice cream in a non-dairy dessert still has to be at the same standards and that's exactly what our

Speaker A

That's a great question, and it's something we talk a lot about. The confluence of good for me and good for the planet is probably one of the biggest megatrends that we're seeing. I've been in the food business for a couple of decades now, and I think you're asking a very apropos question for Ben and Jerry's. We have always, and we will continue to, stand for indulgent super-premium ice cream and frozen desserts. We may do other things, but that's really the heart of what Jerry and Ben created almost 43 years ago.

Speaker A

really wow our fans i will say though that the healthier for the planet is something that's really growing traction more and more consumers are seeing that that intersection more people are seeing that intersection between our choices and the foods that

Speaker A

And so no, our ice cream is not a health food. It's not designed to be a healthy thing. But our focus in creating the same delicious, over-the-top, super-premium ice cream in a non-dairy dessert still has to be at the same standards, and that's exactly what our fans are demanding. They do not want to have something that doesn't live up to what their expectations of Ben and Jerry's is.

Speaker A

be not confused with dietetic or health food both can be true depends on the products that you're you're talking to yeah it seems like increasingly that's what's pushing this or at least growing uh this market if we're just talking about vegan for

Speaker A

So for us, in our definition, it's definitely got to be through the lens of super-premium flavors that just really wow our fans. I will say, though, that the healthier-for-the-planet aspect is something that's really growing traction. More and more consumers are seeing that intersection. More people are seeing that intersection between our choices and the foods that we bring into our lives, into our family's life, into our homes, have a real impact on the planet.

Speaker A

look at them but to what extent do you think are you looking at the makeup of your products how you're likely to to maybe force into shifting that because of what the market's dictating especially uh it's on concerns about to the impact

Speaker A

So I think that the predictions that you mentioned of other folks in the industries that you're talking to are absolutely right. I think that should not be confused with dietetic or health food. Both can be true depending on the products that you're talking to.

Speaker A

possible that's not only from a formulation and from a culinary perspective and kind of a wow factor from a from from an ice cream indulgence perspective but also being mindful of all the ingredients that go into it we've

Speaker A

Yeah, it seems like increasingly that's what's pushing this or at least growing this market. If we're just talking about vegan, for example, those who, you know, would have traditionally eaten ice cream are now looking at the carbon footprint as well. I know you said the focus for the company is still on sort of these indulgent ice creams as we traditionally look at them, but to what extent do you think you are looking at the makeup of your products, how you're likely to maybe force into shifting that because of what the market's dictating, especially on concerns about the impact to climate?

Speaker A

yes there's a lot of talk about vegan or plant-based diets but even the plants that you're using that go into your ingredients need to be looked at and we we take more of an approach on values-based sourcing and we can always

Speaker A

I think the short answer is a big, big yes. So on our dairy products, we've got a program called Caring Dairy that we continue to evolve and to try to make our products the best way possible. That's not only from a formulation and from a culinary perspective and kind of a wow factor from an ice cream indulgence perspective, but also being mindful of all the ingredients that go into it.

Speaker A

it's whatever else it is i think that all manufacturers that are in in the food business need to be mindful that food systems are one of the biggest ways that humans have an impact on the world on climate and so

Speaker A

We've already been in the plant-based business. Products' ingredients like chocolate—those are plants. They come from cocoa, sugar. And so being mindful, I think, of all of the ingredients that go into your product, to your point, is extremely important.

Speaker A

ben and jerry's is you guys released a statement after the capital riots you've never shied away from that however how do you balance that corporate social responsibility while still maintaining your brand identity as a leader in the ice cream

Speaker A

Yes, there's a lot of talk about vegan or plant-based diets, but even the plants that you're using that go into your ingredients need to be looked at. And we take more of an approach on values-based sourcing, and we can always do a better job at Ben and Jerry's to be mindful of it, to take proactive steps to make the entire supply chain better.

Speaker A

um what we've tried to do for for coming up on 43 years is to be an aspiring um social justice company a company that tries to do the right thing and to advance progressive values both on social justice and climate justice and

Speaker A

And I don't think it's just a one-off thing where you can say, "Oh, it's dairy," or "It's whatever else it is." I think that all manufacturers that are in the food business need to be mindful that food systems are one of the biggest ways that humans have an impact on the world, on climate.

Speaker A

work that we're trying to do that we're trying to advance through our products and through our business actually the more they're interested in participating and so i do not see it as a trade-off at all in fact i see it as integral to

Speaker A

And so I think all of us, whether you're in dairy products or non-dairy products, you need to be looking at your entire supply chain, and that's going to be increasingly important going forward, I think.

Speaker A

explicit what they're trying to do to make transparent uh what they're trying to do and some fans will love that and you'll gain more fans because of that and some people may not choose your brand and that's perfectly fine yeah

Speaker A

And it's no secret how socially active Ben and Jerry's is. You guys released a statement after the Capitol riots. You've never shied away from that. However, how do you balance that corporate social responsibility while still maintaining your brand identity as a leader in the ice cream space?

Speaker A

today thank you very much

Topics:Ben & Jerry'snon-dairy ice creamvegan dessertssuper-premium ice creamsustainabilitycarbon footprintplant-basedCaring Dairyflavor innovationcorporate social responsibility

Get More with the SozAI App

Transcribe recordings, audio files, and YouTube videos — with AI summaries, speaker detection, and unlimited transcriptions.

App Store Google Play

Or transcribe another YouTube video here →

Free tools: TXT to SRT · SRT Validator · Merge SRT · Subtitle to Text · All tools