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The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) has concluded that the chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board ‘no longer meets the criteria’ to serve, following an internal investigation conducted by external advisors.

The findings add a fresh layer of tension to a long-running dispute between Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s as parent company Unilever prepares to spin off its ice cream division in early December. Until the spin-off is complete, both Ben & Jerry’s and TMICC remain under Unilever ownership.

In a securities filing earlier this week, TMICC did not disclose the details of the investigation but said it had informed the Ben & Jerry’s board of the results and would ‘consider its options depending on the response’.

The filing states: “The Group has taken a pro-active approach to finding common ground with the Ben & Jerry’s Board and its members to avoid future conflicts of the type that have arisen in the past. However, following investigations commissioned by the Group and conducted by external advisers, in the opinion of the Group, the current chair of the Ben & Jerry’s Board no longer meets the criteria to serve as a member“.

Currently, Ben & Jerry’s chair is Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute. As chair, Mittal has played a central role in steering the brand’s social mission, including statements on Gaza, which have caused tension with Unilever.

The brand recently lost one of its co-founders, Jerry Greenfield, who stepped down following continued disputes with the parent company. Additionally, earlier this year saw the departure of its CEO, who Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen accused Unilever of removing due to differing political views.

In the filing, TMICC warned that further disputes could expose the company to additional lawsuits and reputational harm. The company noted that while it does not expect the matter to materially affect operations, it could lead to “reputational damage, consumer boycotts, investor claims or adverse shifts in consumer behaviour “.

Despite the filing, it is unclear how TMICC could remove the brand’s chair. Under the merger agreement signed in 2000, an independent board was established, with a majority vote required to replace members.

The dispute between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company dates back to 2021 over plans to cease sales in Israeli-occupied territories. The brand’s remaining co-founder, Cohen, recently announced that he intended to independently launch an ice cream to raise funds and awareness for Palestine.

Earlier this week, Unilever announced that it expected the demerger of its ice cream business to be completed on 6 December 2025, following a delay due to the US federal government shutdown.

While the timeline could still be subject to change, Unilever expects to complete in early December, with admission of the TMICC shares to listing and trading, and the commencement of dealings in shares on 8 December 2025.