The Wisconsin Union made a formal agreement with University Housing and Dining Tuesday to indicate the presence of beef gelatin in Babcock ice cream through increased signage. 

The Union Council also voted to add premium ice cream flavors made without beef gelatin to catering menus. 

The vote Tuesday was an official confirmation that the Wisconsin Union would be taking steps similar to University Housing to increase signage letting consumers know of beef gelatin in Babcock ice cream, according to an Associated Students of Madison press release.

Members of ASM originally introduced a piece of legislation called “Ice Cream for All” in September that would have formally acknowledged Babcock ice cream as marginalizing to religious students on campus for its use of beef gelatin.

The legislation would have attempted to engage Babcock Dairy to make the ice cream more inclusive to students on campus, in addition to tasking members on the student dining committee and student representatives on the Union Council with addressing the issue.

ASM proposes taking action against gelatin in Babcock ice cream

Last week, ASM shelved the legislation, and ASM announced Wednesday in a press release that sponsors of the piece have since been able to collaborate with university officials to work toward making the use of beef gelatin in the ice cream more known.

The Union’s agreement follows similar decisions made by University of Wisconsin’s Housing and Dining, according to the press release. 

Vice Chair Yogev Ben-Yitschak, who co-wrote the “Ice Cream for All” legislation with Rep. Jared Lang, said he is looking forward to the future.

“I’m super excited that all of the work with Dining and Housing and the Unions led to real, actual improvements in the labeling and accessibility of non-gelatin flavors,” Ben-Yitschak said.

ASM shelves ice cream legislation indefinitely, passes SSFC internal budget

ASM also plans to work with Babcock to find a graduate student willing to research and potentially create a new formula for the ice cream that would exclude the use of beef gelatin while retaining the ice cream’s signature taste and texture.

“Sometimes small changes is the way to lead to big change,” Ben-Yitschak said. “I look forward to working with the Unions, Dining and Housing, and Babcock to do everything in our power to make the Wisconsin tradition of Babcock Ice Cream as inclusive as possible to all communities on this campus.”