A religious Hindu leader is seeking an apology from Baskin-Robbins for failing to disclose the presence of beef in its Rocky Road ice cream, Today reported. On Aug. 1, Rajan Zed, Hindu statesman and president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, published a news release, saying "it was shocking for Hindus to learn" that the popular ice cream flavor contains beef in it. Zed specifically took issue with the ice cream's inclusion of marshmallows, which contain gelatin derived from both pigs and cows. Although gelatin is a known beef-based product, its animal source was not explicitly mentioned on the ice cream's packaging. Zed came to know about the presence of beef only after he contacted Baskin-Robbins customer service, who said that the "gelatin in Rocky Road is from both porcine and beef source."
"Consumption of beef is highly conflicting to Hindu beliefs. Cow, the seat of many deities, is sacred and has long been venerated in Hinduism," wrote Zed, adding that it was "hard to comprehend" why the "world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops" didn't think to explicitly mention that there's beef in its product.
In addition to an apology, Zed has asked the CEO of Baskin-Robbins' parent company Inspire Brands to recall all of its Rocky Road packages and boxes and update their ingredients label with the source of its gelatin. In a statement to Today, Baskin-Robbins asserted that it "is compliant with all regulatory standards and strives to provide clear, simple nutrition and ingredient information on menus and labels."
