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CNN Live Today

Ben & Jerry's Under Fire

Aired July 30, 2002 - 12:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If you can't trust Ben and Jerry's, who can you trust? It seems the ice cream icon's and social responsibility poster boys are under fire today from the same people who took all the fun out of the movie popcorn and French fries. At issue is the phrase "all natural."

Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the scoop.

No pun intended there, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is hard to take aim at Ben and Jerry's, no question. But, Kyra, as you know, one of their big marketing campaigns has always been all natural. If you look at the commercials, you look at the magazine ads, everything. In fact, we have some Ben and Jerry's ice cream here, unopened as of yet. That will change in a little bit. And that "all natural," you can read that right on the labels.

What is at issue here, Kyra, as you mentioned, an organization known as CSPI, Committee for Science and Public Interest, basically has questioned the all-natural thing, and they actually point to four ingredients that are commonly used in Ben and Jerry's ice creams an yogurts, and they are -- I think we have a list of them here. They are hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, and alkaloid -- you can read that -- cocoa powder there as well. Those four things supposedly, according to this organization, which has Ben and Jerry in its sights, says that those are not natural.

Now the definition of natural is somewhat difficult. They define natural, basically saying, anything that has chemical additives to it that is not part of the original food product. We have gotten in touch with some folks at the FDA. Folks have had a little bit of a tough time defining "natural" as well. But basically said, anything that is not artificially designed, or synthetically enhanced can be defined as natural.

Needless to say, this complaint actually has not been received by Ben and Jerry's yet, but we are going to be awaiting a response from them when it actually does occur -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Sanjay, what ice cream can we have?

GUPTA: You know, if you're asking me, I got my spoon right here.

PHILLIPS: I bet you do. Are you eating the Ben and Jerry's? Look at that. Oh, now you have the low-fat frozen yogurt.

GUPTA: I try to be healthy. But let me tell you, Kyra, it may be more than semantics as well. If you look at hydrogenated soybean oil, one of the things that we were mentioning as being unnatural; if you think about natural, most people think if it is natural, it will probably be better for me, or at least good for me, compared to something that is not natural.

One of the things that is at issue is hydrogenated soybean oil may be actually raising your levels of cholesterol, and particularly your bad cholesterol, and that that's one of the things that this particular organization is making as well.

Again, none of these complaints have really been addressed yet, and none of these things have been or truly confirmed yet, but that is basically framing the issue and why this organization has taken aim at Ben and Jerry's.

PHILLIPS: All right, I guess I have to get that healthy smoothie then. OK, Sanjay Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: Good seeing you.

PHILLIPS: Good seeing you, too.

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