Häagen-Dazs

How ethical is Häagen-Dazs?

Häagen-Dazs is an Ice Cream brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table. Although Häagen-Dazs has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ice Cream sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table.

What does Häagen-Dazs do?

Häagen-Dazs was created in 1960 by Reuben Mattus. It is marketed as a luxury brand and is now owned by General Mills.

In which areas does Häagen-Dazs perform poorly?

Despite Häagen-Dazs’ progress, there is still room for improvement. Häagen-Dazs was marked down under our criteria for GMOs as its use of GM ingredients is confirmed on the General Mills website. Another statement on the website implies that the company tests on animals ‘when required by law’.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Häagen-Dazs’ record

General Mills has been named as a brand buying grains from farmers responsible for the destruction of indigenous communities in Brazil. It has also been alleged that migrant children have been working in General Mills’ factories across the US.

In which areas does Häagen-Dazs score well for its ethics?

Häagen-Dazs’ parent company, General Mills, has a Global Responsibility Report containing lots of targets and evidence of progress so the brand receives a top rating for Environmental Report.

Häagen-Dazs scores well for Fossil Fuels and Armaments due to a lack of criticisms across these criteria.

How can Häagen-Dazs improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Häagen-Dazs is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Häagen-Dazs has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMOs and Animal Testing.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.