Zoos SA getting cold shoulder after snubbing Golden North ice-cream for Streets, which uses palm oil

BUSINESSES are rallying behind ice-cream maker Golden North after Zoos SA axed its deal with the SA company — while politicians are also trying to get the decision overturned. VOTE IN OUR POLL

BUSINESSES are rallying behind ice-cream maker Golden North in the wake of Zoos SA dumping the South Australian company in favour of a multinational that uses palm oil.

Golden North marketing Trevor Pomery said new customers have come forward wanting to install Golden North-branded freezers in their businesses in a sign of solidarity for the Laura-based company.

“We have probably had about half-a-dozen phone calls and emails from individual shops who have said they want to put a Golden North freezer in,” he said on Friday.

“These are deli-type outlets and to get that reaction from shop owners is fantastic.”

Zoos SA has been hit with a significant public backlash after it ended its relationship with Golden North in favour of Unilever-owned Streets, which still uses palm oil in its products.

The decision has been a public relations boon for Golden North with the company’s Facebook page “inundated” with support, Mr Pomery said.

“The reaction we have had from consumers has been quite fantastic, it’s been overwhelming which makes us feel good,” he said.

The company spent a year eliminating palm-oil from their products on the advice of Zoos SA, which had campaigned on the issue because palm oil is associated with the destruction of tropical habitats.

South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon handed out Golden North ice-creams outside Adelaide Zoo today as he sought the signatures of at least 50 Zoos SA members for a petition calling for a special general meeting that could reverse the decision.

“What they’ve done by dumping Golden North actually goes against their aims of conservation — this doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“It’s about getting the zoo board and management to ‘fess up with what they’ve done, to get them not to do this again and to try every measure possible to try and reverse this move.”

Senator Nick Xenophon shares a Golden North ice-cream with Amy Fitzgerald and her daughter Brooklyn outside Adelaide Zoo today. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Clovercrest Autopro co-owner Eddie Symons contacted Golden North last week to install a freezer in his shop in direct response to Zoos SA’s decision.

He has been stocking Streets products for the past three years.

“I just think with everything that’s gone offshore lately ... I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to get behind a local company,” he said.

Clovercrest Autopro’s Frank, Jake and Eddie Symons with employee Kym Oschmanns enjoying Golden North ice-creams after deciding to help support the SA company. Picture: Dylan Coker

SA Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said he will write to Zoos SA this week to express his disappointment with the decision to dump Golden North.

“This decision by Zoos SA has certainly cost it more in bad PR than they could possibly have made through the ice-cream deal,” he said.

“The South Australian Government has put in a great deal of effort to promote our premium food and wine from our clean environment, and the zoo wants to use a multinational ice-cream producer who uses palm oil.”

Zoos SA public relations manager Alison Hassel said the decision to switch ice-cream brands was made by the board and partly due to financial considerations.

“(There was) definitely a financial consideration when the board decided to get into a sponsorship agreement with Streets,” she said.

Ms Hassel said the organisation hoped to work with Unilever to advocate for products that do not use palm oil in the future.