The Sweet Struggle of Innovation

In one of the most remarkable feats ever performed by a frozen dessert, Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch. Its founder Justin Woolverton was a frustrated lawyer who developed the recipe in his Cuisinart, mixing Stevia, egg whites and fruit into a low-calorie treat that tasted good enough to sell. Many recipes later—some runny, some rock-hard—Justin got the ice cream into stores; and soon, social media was flooded with images of people polishing off the 300-calorie pints. After outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s in 2017, Halo Top’s charisma faded, and a slew of new competitors entered the field. In 2019, Justin sold the company for an undisclosed amount, and now enjoys his ice cream at a less frenetic pace. 

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.

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