PETA Latino Wants a Vegan Ben & Jerry’s Flavor: ‘¡Hola, Soy Cream!’

Time for Progressive Company to Launch an Eco-, Allergy-, and Animal-Friendly Nondairy Dessert

For Immediate Release:
October 27, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

As thousands of people call on Ben & Jerry’s to roll out a nondairy ice cream, PETA Latino—PETA’s bilingual outreach division, which offers animal rights information in English and Spanish to Latinos in the U.S. and abroad—sent a letter to the company today with a suggestion for its first vegan offering: “¡Hola, Soy Cream!” a soy-based Mexican chocolate flavor. As Renée Saldaña, PETA Latino’s project manager, notes in her letter, the cute double meaning of “soy,” which also translates to “I am” in Spanish, would both introduce the new dairy-free ice cream and let customers know that they’ll be getting all the rich flavor that they expect from Ben & Jerry’s.

“‘¡Hola, Soy Cream!’ would be in line with current demand, suitable for people with dairy allergies, and a fun and creative addition to your list of flavors,” Saldaña writes. “Introducing a dairy-free ice cream also makes good business sense. … [T]he sale of plant-based milks rose by $2 billion last year alone, and the growth of nondairy milk sales is projected to outpace that of cow’s milk at least through 2018.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat … or abuse in any other way”—offers tips for finding dairy-free delights on its website.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Saldaña’s letter to Ben & Jerry’s follows.

October 27, 2014

Jostein Solheim, CEO
Ben & Jerry’s

Dear Mr. Solheim:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 3 million members and supporters worldwide, many of whom are already fans of your delicious vegan sorbets. In light of the recent appeal for you to add a dairy-free ice cream to Ben & Jerry’s lineup, I’d like to suggest a flavor called “¡Hola, Soy Cream!” which would combine the spicy, sweet flavor of Mexican chocolate with creamy soy-based ice cream to take tasters on a trip south of the border.

The cute double entendre of “¡Hola, Soy Cream!” means both “Hello, soy cream!” and “Hello, I am cream!”—reminiscent of the Nat King Cole love song “You’re the Cream in My Coffee.” This would be a great way to announce the introduction of your first dairy-free ice-cream flavor, while also reminding customers that they’ll be getting all the rich flavor that they expect from Ben & Jerry’s.

Introducing a dairy-free ice cream also makes good business sense. A 2013 Public Policy Polling survey reported that 7 percent of the country’s population now identifies as vegan and that up to 12 percent of Americans report experiencing symptoms of lactose intolerance. That’s a huge market to tap into! What’s more, the sale of plant-based milks rose by $2 billion last year alone, and the growth of nondairy milk sales is projected to outpace that of cow’s milk at least through 2018. “¡Hola, Soy Cream!” would be in line with current demand, suitable for people with dairy allergies, and a fun and creative addition to your list of flavors.

I look forward to hearing that you love the idea. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Renée Saldaña
PETA Latino