{"id":348858,"date":"2025-12-17T13:17:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/?p=348858"},"modified":"2025-12-17T13:17:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:17:16","slug":"florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A
Credit:<\/span> Ben & Jerry's press assets<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A ban on state investments in Ben & Jerry\u2019s will continue, but the ice-cream brand\u2019s former parent company, Unilever, is no longer on the prohibited list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Magnum Ice Cream Co., which now includes Ben & Jerry\u2019s, has been added. \u201cQuick note, for those that didn’t pay (attention) or didn’t notice last week, on Dec. 8, Unilever completed their spin-off of Magnum Ice Cream Co., which now includes Ben & Jerry’s,\u201d said Spencer, whose agency manages the massive state pension fund and other investments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBen & Jerry’s was the offending entity as part of the Unilever overall consolidated entity that was in violation of the statute. As a result of that, we have removed Unilever and all of their affiliated entities, which is 13 different legal entities, from the scrutinized list, and added Magnum Ice Cream to the scrutinized list.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, DeSantis and other state officials took aim at Unilever based on a decision by Ben & Jerry\u2019s to stop selling its products in the West Bank and Gaza. Ben & Jerry\u2019s said its decision was consistent with its values and \u201cconcerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, the state had about $139 million in holdings in Unilever and its subsidiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a>

Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

Recent Stories<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Florida’s\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Florida’s flamingo population needs intervention for recovery, UCF study says<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tFlorida has only about 100 of its state bird in the wild.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

10 Florida legal issues to watch in 2026<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tYour energy bill could be going up.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Clearwater’s\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Clearwater’s TheatreFor stages one-woman fringe double feature<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t‘My Life as an \u2018Inspirational P*rn Star’ and ‘Furniture Boys’ recently showed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":532,"featured_media":348859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-12-17T18:17:12Z","apple_news_api_id":"98cf546f-d46a-4143-904d-c84860abeeed","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-12-17T18:17:21Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmM9Ub9RqQUOQTchIYKvu7Q","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"newspack_collection_is_cover_story":false,"newspack_collection_post_order":0,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_post_subtitle":"Its new parent company has been added to Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel.\u201d","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,24],"tags":[58795,135797,135794,135795,135796],"newspack_collection_taxonomy":[135791],"newspack_collection_section":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[110],"class_list":["post-348858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-florida-news","category-news","tag-ben-jerrys","tag-chris-spencer","tag-florida-israel-investments","tag-magnum-ice-cream-co","tag-unilever","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nFlorida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company - Creative Loafing Tampa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Creative Loafing Tampa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cltampabay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1248\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"830\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News Service of Florida\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News Service of Florida\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News Service of Florida\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7498a315aecc60f8e88da7f8313863f3\"},\"headline\":\"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\"},\"wordCount\":269,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"ben & jerrys\",\"Chris Spencer\",\"Florida Israel investments\",\"Magnum Ice Cream Co.\",\"Unilever\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Florida News\",\"News & Views\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\",\"name\":\"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company - Creative Loafing Tampa\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1\",\"width\":1248,\"height\":830,\"caption\":\"A first-person perspective shows a hand holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's \\\"Phish Food\\\" ice cream against a sunny backdrop of a blue lake. Another hand is using a spoon to scoop the chocolate ice cream. The blue pint container features the brand's logo and cloud imagery. A bright pink inflatable pool float with yellow sprinkles is partially visible in the lower left corner, suggesting a summer boating or swimming setting.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/\",\"name\":\"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Organization\",\"Place\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\",\"alternateName\":\"Creative Loafing\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cltampabay\",\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/cltampabay.bsky.social\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cltampabay\/\",\"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ty2bLh7KQRom2Yiozae-a7Q\",\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAiECLjru3gB6BLYKOKFLfkVZsqFAgKIhAi467t4AegS2CjihS35FWb\",\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/CreativeLoafingTampa\/\"],\"description\":\"As a free weekly publication, website, content marketing, and event company, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has served the Tampa Bay area for more than 33 years with its cultural and news coverage.\",\"address\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-place-address\"},\"telephone\":[\"(877) 975-1818\"],\"contactPoint\":{\"@type\":\"ContactPoint\",\"telephone\":\"(877) 975-1818\",\"email\":\"policy@cltampa.com\"},\"openingHoursSpecification\":[{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\",\"Friday\",\"Saturday\",\"Sunday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"17:00\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7498a315aecc60f8e88da7f8313863f3\",\"name\":\"News Service of Florida\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/author\/news-service-of-florida\/\"},{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-place-address\",\"streetAddress\":\"633 N. Franklin Street, Suite 735\",\"addressLocality\":\"Tampa\",\"postalCode\":\"33602\",\"addressRegion\":\"FL\",\"addressCountry\":\"US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mainLogo.jpg?fit=214%2C82&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mainLogo.jpg?fit=214%2C82&ssl=1\",\"width\":214,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\"}]}<\/script>\n<meta name=\"geo.placename\" content=\"Tampa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"geo.region\" content=\"United States (US)\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company - Creative Loafing Tampa","description":"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company","og_description":"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","og_site_name":"Creative Loafing Tampa","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cltampabay","article_published_time":"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1248,"height":830,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"News Service of Florida","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News Service of Florida","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/"},"author":{"name":"News Service of Florida","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7498a315aecc60f8e88da7f8313863f3"},"headline":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company","datePublished":"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/"},"wordCount":269,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1","keywords":["ben & jerrys","Chris Spencer","Florida Israel investments","Magnum Ice Cream Co.","Unilever"],"articleSection":["Florida News","News & Views"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","name":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry's former parent company - Creative Loafing Tampa","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-12-17T18:17:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-17T18:17:16+00:00","description":"State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida\u2019s list of \u201cScrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,\u201d which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1","width":1248,"height":830,"caption":"A first-person perspective shows a hand holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's \"Phish Food\" ice cream against a sunny backdrop of a blue lake. Another hand is using a spoon to scoop the chocolate ice cream. The blue pint container features the brand's logo and cloud imagery. A bright pink inflatable pool float with yellow sprinkles is partially visible in the lower left corner, suggesting a summer boating or swimming setting."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/","name":"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Organization","Place"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#organization","name":"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay","alternateName":"Creative Loafing","url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/","logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cltampabay","https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/cltampabay.bsky.social","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cltampabay\/","https:\/\/apple.news\/Ty2bLh7KQRom2Yiozae-a7Q","https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAiECLjru3gB6BLYKOKFLfkVZsqFAgKIhAi467t4AegS2CjihS35FWb","https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/CreativeLoafingTampa\/"],"description":"As a free weekly publication, website, content marketing, and event company, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has served the Tampa Bay area for more than 33 years with its cultural and news coverage.","address":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-place-address"},"telephone":["(877) 975-1818"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","telephone":"(877) 975-1818","email":"policy@cltampa.com"},"openingHoursSpecification":[{"@type":"OpeningHoursSpecification","dayOfWeek":["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday","Sunday"],"opens":"09:00","closes":"17:00"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7498a315aecc60f8e88da7f8313863f3","name":"News Service of Florida","url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/author\/news-service-of-florida\/"},{"@type":"PostalAddress","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-place-address","streetAddress":"633 N. Franklin Street, Suite 735","addressLocality":"Tampa","postalCode":"33602","addressRegion":"FL","addressCountry":"US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mainLogo.jpg?fit=214%2C82&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mainLogo.jpg?fit=214%2C82&ssl=1","width":214,"height":82,"caption":"Creative Loafing Tampa Bay"}]},"geo.placename":"Tampa","geo.region":"United States (US)"},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company","url":"http:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Florida News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"News Service of Florida"}],"creator":["News Service of Florida"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Creative Loafing Tampa","logo":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mainLogo.jpg"},"keywords":["ben & jerrys","chris spencer","florida israel investments","magnum ice cream co.","unilever"],"dateCreated":"2025-12-17T18:17:03Z","datePublished":"2025-12-17T18:17:03Z","dateModified":"2025-12-17T18:17:16Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.cltampa.com\\\/news\\\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.cltampa.com\\\/news\\\/florida-lifts-investment-ban-on-ben-jerrys-former-parent-company\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cltampa.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cltampa.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1\"},\"articleSection\":\"Florida News\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"News Service of Florida\"}],\"creator\":[\"News Service of Florida\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Creative Loafing Tampa\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cltampa.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/mainLogo.jpg\"},\"keywords\":[\"ben & jerrys\",\"chris spencer\",\"florida israel investments\",\"magnum ice cream co.\",\"unilever\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:03Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:03Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-17T18:17:16Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/cltampa.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-1.09.43-PM.png?fit=1248%2C830&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":221532,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/florida-threatens-sanctions-against-ben-jerrys-over-israel-boycott-12443074\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":0},"title":"Florida threatens sanctions against Ben & Jerry’s over Israel boycott","author":"News Service of Florida","date":"July 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Similar action was briefly taken by the State Board of Administration in January 2019 against the home-sharing platform Airbnb.","rel":"","context":"In "Florida News"","block_context":{"text":"Florida News","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/news\/florida-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/screen_shot_2021_07_23_at_12.31.18_pm.60faef0f4e8c0.png?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/screen_shot_2021_07_23_at_12.31.18_pm.60faef0f4e8c0.png?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/screen_shot_2021_07_23_at_12.31.18_pm.60faef0f4e8c0.png?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/screen_shot_2021_07_23_at_12.31.18_pm.60faef0f4e8c0.png?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/screen_shot_2021_07_23_at_12.31.18_pm.60faef0f4e8c0.png?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":201290,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/food-drink\/ben-and-jerrys-ice-cream-flavor-contest-12284641\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":1},"title":"Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor contest","author":"Taylor Eason","date":"April 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The last time they held an ice cream flavor creation contest, Ben & Jerry's received 40,000 entries. But for some reason, they're doing it again:\u00a0Asking fans to concoct\u00a0the company's next Fair Trade flavor for the \"Do The World A Flavor\" contest. The contest celebrates their newest Fair Trade flavor, Chocolate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Food & Drink"","block_context":{"text":"Food & Drink","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/food-drink\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":212417,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/food-drink\/ben-jerrys-looking-to-open-new-ice-cream-shop-in-clearwater-12441767\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":2},"title":"Ben & Jerry\u2019s looking to open new ice cream shop in Clearwater","author":"Kat Piccolo","date":"July 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"There's already one on the way at Midtown Tampa.","rel":"","context":"In "Food & Drink"","block_context":{"text":"Food & Drink","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/food-drink\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/benandjerrysus_facebook.60f83d1bccb43.png?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/benandjerrysus_facebook.60f83d1bccb43.png?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/benandjerrysus_facebook.60f83d1bccb43.png?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/benandjerrysus_facebook.60f83d1bccb43.png?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":226397,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/news\/best-ben-and-jerrys-better-watch-out-ice-cream-shop-12273428\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":3},"title":"Best Ben-and-Jerry\u2019s-better-watch-out ice cream shop","author":"CL Staff","date":"September 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Revolution Ice Cream Company","rel":"","context":"In "News & Views"","block_context":{"text":"News & Views","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/0db22_f_d_benandjerrysicecream_revolutionicecreamco_chipweiner.png?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/0db22_f_d_benandjerrysicecream_revolutionicecreamco_chipweiner.png?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/0db22_f_d_benandjerrysicecream_revolutionicecreamco_chipweiner.png?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/0db22_f_d_benandjerrysicecream_revolutionicecreamco_chipweiner.png?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/0db22_f_d_benandjerrysicecream_revolutionicecreamco_chipweiner.png?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294021,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/food-drink\/free-ben-and-jerrys-ice-cream-sundae-every-monday-this-summer-12295411\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":4},"title":"Free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream sundae every Monday this summer","author":"Taylor Eason","date":"June 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Every Monday through the end of August, Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shops will be giving away a free sundae with the purchase of one (larger-than-life Vermonster Sundae not included). From the press release: \"Going out for summer ice cream sundaes has been an American tradition for decades,\" said Walt Freese,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Food & Drink"","block_context":{"text":"Food & Drink","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/food-drink\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":253419,"url":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/food-drink\/tampa-bay-ben-and-jerrys-locations-are-giving-away-free-ice-cream-next-week-15373169\/","url_meta":{"origin":348858,"position":5},"title":"Tampa Bay Ben and Jerry\u2019s locations are giving away free ice cream next week","author":"Tyana Rodgers","date":"March 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Grab a free scoop on April 3.","rel":"","context":"In "Food & Drink"","block_context":{"text":"Food & Drink","link":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/category\/food-drink\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ben-and-jerrys-free-scoops.webp?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ben-and-jerrys-free-scoops.webp?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ben-and-jerrys-free-scoops.webp?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ben-and-jerrys-free-scoops.webp?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/532"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348858"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":348861,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348858\/revisions\/348861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348858"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_collection_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_collection_taxonomy?post=348858"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_collection_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_collection_section?post=348858"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=348858"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cltampa.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=348858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}