NORWICH – Chobani President Hamdi Ulukaya has made eating yogurt cool.
First was the smaller-sized, real fruit-blended Chobani Champs brand for kids. Then came the New Berlin-based company’s sponsorship of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Now, with U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer’s backing, Ulukaya hopes to have kids develop the habit of eating Greek-style yogurt when they are little, by choosing it from offerings available in the school cafeteria.
Senator Schumer pledged his support at a press conference held at Chobani headquarters in Norwich Monday. He said he sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that he modify the school lunch program to incorporate Greek yogurt as a high-protein meat alternative. Current nutritional standards do not treat Greek yogurt differently from traditional yogurt, despite the higher protein content.
“If Greek-style yogurt is healthier and so good, why aren’t we serving it to our kids?” Schumer asked an audience of Chenango County officials and company representatives.
Schumer said no legislation is needed; it’s only a matter of updating federal agricultural regulations to account for the relatively newer style of yogurt, which while more expensive than traditional, also packs more protein in a smaller-sized container.
“It’s a blanket rule that doesn’t account for difference,” Schumer said. “We just have to get USDA to catch up.”
New York dairy farmers stand to benefit from the rule change, as 85 percent of Chobani’s milk comes from New York. Chenango County dairy farmer and long time New York Farm Bureau member Judi Wittaker said the rule change would “help revitalize the state’s dairy industry.”
Norwich School District Lunch Director Susan Ryan said she uses yogurt as a meat substitute in school breakfasts and lunches, especially where there are students with egg allergies. She said she would prefer to offer Chobani and Chobani Champions “because the kids love it.”
“I was working very hard at the beginning of the year to get it, but it was too expensive,” Ryan said.
Chobani produces two lines of authentic strained Greek Yogurt: Chobani Greek Yogurt — the #1 yogurt in the country — and Chobani Champions, Greek yogurt made just for kids. Each offers health benefits aligned with those that the federal meal programs aim to make available to schoolchildren. Made with only natural ingredients like wholesome non-fat or low-fat milk and real fruit, each serving of Chobani products are full of nutrition, including a five live and active cultures, three strains of probiotics and good source of protein. Chobani products are also gluten free, Kosher certified and free of corn, nut and soy allergens.
“We support Senator Schumer’s initiative to make Greek yogurt affordable in New York State schools,” said Ulukaya. “This not only stands to make nutritious products more readily available in our school meal programs, but would also greatly benefit New York State dairy farmers and our surrounding economy as it takes over three pounds of milk to make one pound of Chobani.”