• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, September 27, 2010

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.

CSPI sent a letter to Paul Polman, CEO of B&J parent company Unilever, on Aug. 12 urging that the brand drop the claim in cases in which it is misleading -- at least 48 out of 53 B&J flavors, by CSPI's estimate.

In a letter following a meeting between CSPI and Ben & Jerry's, CEO Jostein Solheim stressed that the company uses the most natural ingredients it can find. He is confident that its products are "all natural" -- as reasonable consumers would understand that term.

However, he added that Ben & Jerry's doesn't want any questions regarding the all-natural claim, and that the company does not believe this claim is the best way to convey the brand's current "core values."

All-natural claims will be supplanted by a greater focus on the brand's use of milk from family farms that do not use rBGH, certified fair trade ingredients and certified cage-free eggs, and employing suppliers that "work for social justice," he stated.

The Food and Drug Administration does not have a formal definition for the word "natural." Previous statements from the agency have consistently discouraged the use of the term because its ambiguity may mislead consumers.