Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint is asking the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to prove that it is not violating child labor laws.
The Democrat’s letter to Unilever is in response to a New York Times article last month detailing incidents of illegal child labor practices by corporate entities. The paper reports among the work the migrant children do is “process milk used in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.”
Balint’s letter notes that “the reports are not consistent with Ben & Jerry’s values” and asks Unilever when its suppliers began using migrant child labor; when Unilever became aware its suppliers were using migrant child labor; and what the company is doing to end relationships with those suppliers.
WAMC has requested comment from Unilever.