Honey Bees and Häagen-Dazs products - A Natural Partnership

More than 25 percent of the honey bee population in the United States has disappeared over the last several winters, affecting many of our favorite nuts, fruits and berries – key ingredients in many of the most popular Häagen-Dazs flavors.

• • Researchers believe there are many causes for the decline in the bee population including:
  • • Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – Symptoms were reported by more than 35 states across the continental United States and in two provinces in Canada, Belgium and Spain
    • Varroa Mites – Inadvertently introduced into the United States in 1987, these tiny, brown parasitic relatives of ticks feed exclusively on honey bees
    • Viruses– Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) is highly associated with CCD
    • Chemical Exposure – Pollen in CCD-affected hives show levels of 45 different types of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides
    • Lack of Nutrition – Limited supply of good pollen and nectar supplies due to drought has greatly impacted honey bees
  • Honey bees help to create ingredients that go into more than 40 percent of Häagen-Dazs flavors
  • Ice cream production is dependent upon honey bees for alfalfa pollination, a key ingredient in milk production. Dairy cows rely on alfalfa for feed; without the cows we would not have milk, and without milk we would not have ice cream