Talenti is a wholly-owned brand within The Magnum Ice Cream Company (Euronext: MGIC), the standalone ice cream company spun off from Unilever in November 2025. Unilever acquired Talenti in 2014 from founder Josh Hochschuler.

Is Talenti publicly traded?

Talenti is not separately listed. Its parent company, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, trades on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker MGIC. Investors seeking exposure to Talenti must buy shares in The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which also owns Magnum, Ben and Jerry's, Wall's, and other ice cream brands.

When was Talenti founded?

Talenti was founded in 2003 by Josh Hochschuler in Dallas, Texas. Hochschuler was inspired by gelato he encountered while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Is Talenti gelato or ice cream?

Talenti produces both gelato and sorbetto. Gelato is a frozen dairy dessert with less air incorporated than ice cream, resulting in a denser texture. Sorbetto is a dairy-free frozen dessert made with fruit and sugar. Talenti also produces layered gelato products that combine multiple flavors and textures in one jar.

Is Talenti part of Unilever?

Talenti was part of Unilever from 2014 until November 2025, when Unilever spun off its ice cream business as The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Talenti is now part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which is an independent publicly traded company. Unilever retained no ownership stake in the new entity.

Where can I buy Talenti?

Talenti is available at major U.S. grocery retailers including Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Target, Safeway, and others. The brand is also available in Canada and select international markets.

Food & Beverage

Who Owns Talenti?

Talenti is a premium gelato and sorbetto brand founded in 2003 by Josh Hochschuler in Dallas, Texas. Unilever acquired the brand in 2014. Following Unilever's spinoff of its ice cream business in 2025, Talenti is now part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company (Euronext: MGIC), a standalone publicly traded entity. Talenti competes in the premium frozen dessert segment in the United States.

Parent Company

Unilever plc

Acquired

2014

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA

Talenti Timeline

1929

Unilever plc

Parent company established in London, England, United Kingdom

Company Founded

2003

Talenti

Founded by Josh Hochschuler

Founded

2014

Acquired by Unilever plc

Unilever plc acquired Talenti

Acquired

premiumpremiumUnited StatesOfficial Website

Who Owns Talenti?

Parent Company: Unilever plc
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Acquisition Year: 2014
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: LSE: ULVR

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Talenti	Unilever plc	Wholly owned

Where to Buy

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Talenti on Amazon

History of Talenti

Founded: 2003
Founders: Josh Hochschuler
Acquired by Unilever plc: 2014

Josh Hochschuler founded Talenti in 2003 after living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was inspired by the gelato culture and the quality of South American gelato. He returned to Dallas and began producing gelato using traditional Argentinian and Italian techniques, initially selling through small retailers in Texas.

The brand grew through specialty grocery distribution before gaining national shelf space. Talenti's distinctive packaging, a wide-mouthed transparent plastic jar that allows consumers to see the product, became a differentiating feature. The layered gelato format, introduced later, became one of the brand's most successful innovations.

Unilever acquired Talenti in 2014, bringing the brand into the world's largest ice cream portfolio. Under Unilever, Talenti gained national distribution and marketing scale. The brand grew significantly and became one of the fastest-growing premium frozen dessert brands in the United States.

In 2025, Unilever spun off its entire ice cream business as The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Talenti became part of this new standalone entity. The spinoff was driven by Unilever's assessment that the ice cream business had different operational characteristics (frozen supply chain, seasonal demand) from its other consumer goods segments.

About Unilever plc

What does Unilever own?
As of April 2026, Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing (Dove, Vaseline, TRESemme, Pond's), Personal Care (Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lux, Lifebuoy, Close Up), Home Care (Domestos, Cif, Surf, Omo, Comfort), and Nutrition (Knorr, Hellmann's, pending transfer to McCormick upon deal close). Unilever no longer owns ice cream brands (Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers) following the 2025 Ice Cream demerger. The March 31, 2026 McCormick combination, expected to close mid-2027, will transfer Hellmann's, Knorr, Frank's RedHot, French's, Cholula, and Maille to the expanded McCormick entity. The company also owns approximately 61% of Hindustan Unilever Limited, a publicly listed subsidiary in India.

Is Unilever publicly traded?
Yes, Unilever plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker ULVR and on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker UNA. American Depositary Receipts are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker UL. The company does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom.

Who founded Unilever?
Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers, a British soap company founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer formed through the merger of the Jurgens and Van den Bergh companies in 1927. The founders of the predecessor companies include William Lever, James Darcy Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel van den Bergh.

Where is Unilever headquartered?
Unilever is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in London. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom and ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.

How many brands does Unilever own?
Unilever currently owns over 400 brands across Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. Following the completion of the McCormick Foods combination (expected mid-2027), Unilever's portfolio will narrow to its HPC brands, with the largest being Dove, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Vaseline, Domestos, Cif, Surf, and Omo. The company's food brands (Hellmann's, Knorr) are included in the McCormick deal and will transfer upon close.

Who owns Unilever?
Unilever plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and index funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Unilever. Fernando Fernandez serves as CEO, having been appointed in March 2025 following the departure of Hein Schumacher. The company's board includes a majority of independent non-executive directors.

Founded: 1929
Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: LSE: ULVR
Revenue: approximately €59.7 billion (FY2025)
Employees: Approximately 128,000

Visit Unilever plc website

View full company profile for Unilever plc

Where Is Talenti Made / Based?

Headquarters: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA

Talenti Categories & Tags

Gelato Ice Cream Premium Frozen Dessert Food Brand Unilever American Brand

Talenti Sustainability & Ethics

Talenti's sustainability practices are governed by The Magnum Ice Cream Company's corporate framework. The company has committed to sourcing 100% sustainable dairy by 2030, though progress toward this target has not been independently verified.

Talenti's packaging uses PET plastic jars that are recyclable. However, the brand has faced criticism for the environmental impact of single-use plastic packaging. The Magnum Ice Cream Company has announced targets to reduce virgin plastic use and increase recycled content in packaging, but specific timelines for Talenti packaging changes have not been published.

The brand sources dairy, sugar, fruit, and other ingredients from suppliers that must meet The Magnum Ice Cream Company's responsible sourcing standards. These standards include deforestation-free palm oil and cage-free eggs, though implementation and audit results are not publicly detailed for Talenti specifically.

Talenti is not B Corp certified, organic certified, or fair trade certified. Ben and Jerry's, a sibling brand within The Magnum Ice Cream Company, is B Corp certified, but Talenti has not pursued this certification.

Awards & Recognition

Talenti has been recognized by food industry publications as a leading premium gelato brand in the United States. The brand has received mentions in Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and other culinary publications for specific flavors and product quality.

Talenti's Sea Salt Caramel and Southern Butter Pecan flavors have been cited in consumer surveys and food publications as standout products in the premium frozen dessert category.

The brand's layered gelato format, which combines multiple flavors and textures in a single jar, has been noted by industry analysts as a successful product innovation that differentiates Talenti from competitors.

Talenti Recalls & Controversies

Packaging Environmental Impact: Talenti's transparent PET plastic jars have been criticized by environmental groups for contributing to single-use plastic waste. While the jars are recyclable, recycling rates for PET plastic in the United States are approximately 29%, meaning most Talenti jars end up in landfills or incinerators. The Magnum Ice Cream Company has announced packaging sustainability targets but has not committed to eliminating plastic jars for Talenti.

Sugar Content: Talenti gelato products contain significant sugar content, with some flavors containing over 20 grams of sugar per serving. Health advocates have criticized premium dessert brands for contributing to obesity and diabetes rates. Talenti's marketing does not emphasize health claims, but the brand faces ongoing scrutiny as part of the broader debate about sugar in processed foods.

Allergen Labeling: Like all food brands, Talenti must comply with FDA allergen labeling requirements. The brand has not had major allergen-related recalls, but its products contain or may contain milk, tree nuts, and other common allergens.

Talenti Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+The Magnum Ice Cream Company provides global distribution infrastructure and marketing resources
+Premium positioning in the growing U.S. gelato and sorbetto segment
+Distinctive transparent packaging creates strong shelf presence and brand recognition
+Layered gelato format differentiates Talenti from competitors
+Dairy-free sorbetto line captures growing plant-based and lactose-free consumer demand

Considerations

-Plastic packaging faces environmental criticism despite being recyclable
-High sugar content creates reputational risk in an increasingly health-conscious market
-Competition from Haagen-Dazs and store-brand premium gelato products
-The Magnum Ice Cream Company does not disclose Talenti-specific financials, making brand performance difficult to assess
-Spinoff from Unilever may create transitional challenges as the new company establishes independent operations

Frequently Asked Questions About Talenti

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Talenti

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Ben & Jerry's	The Magnum Ice Cream Company	USA	1978	Premium	Global	All-ages
Best FoodsSister Brand	Unilever	USA (Unilever North America HQ)	1919	Mass market	United states	All-ages
Birds Eye	Conagra Brands	UK (Nomad Foods)	1929	Category leader	Global	All-consumers
Dairy Queen	Berkshire Hathaway	USA	1940	Mass market	United states	All-ages
Dollar Shave Club	Nexus Capital Management	USA	2011	Premium	United states	Mens
Dreyer's	Nestle	United Kingdom (Froneri)	1928	Mass market	United states	All Genders