Unilever says its chairman no longer meets criteria to serve as board member

CONSUMER goods giant Unilever, which has an Irish base in Citywest, has said its chairman no longer meets the criteria to serve as a board member.

This was disclosed in a filing with US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding Unilever chairman Anuradha Mittal.

Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at odds since at least 2021 when the ice cream maker said it would stop selling in the Israel-occupied West Bank.

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen hit back and accused the FTSE 100 group of a “power grab to stifle the social mission” of the brand “which will in turn destroy its long-term value.”

Unilever did not specify why Mittal was no longer fit to serve but cited “internal investigations.”

Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for €284m.

Tensions between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have simmered for years.

Relations worsened after the ice cream brand challenged its parent firm when it halted sales in the Israel-occupied West Bank in 2021.

It also attracted criticism for referring to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”

The brand is now part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company and is being listed in Amsterdam next month.