Welcome to the school lunch table, Greek yogurt.
New York Senator Charles Schumer announced last week that Greek yogurt will be offered as a meat alternative in school lunches across the nation this fall. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared the USDA's decision with Schumer, who has been a proponent of the protein-packed dairy product and its inclusion in meals for students.
In January 2013, the USDA decided to classify Greek yogurt as an acceptable protein, or meat substitute, since it has almost twice the protein of regular yogurt. Later that year, the USDA started a pilot project, incorporating Greek yogurt into school lunches in New York, Idaho, Arizona and Tennessee. The project was then extended to include schools in California, Iowa, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Mississippi in 2014.
The success of this pilot project and strong student demand fueled the decision to make Greek yogurt a permanent part of school lunches across the nation. Students will benefit from Greek yogurt's nutritional value, and school districts will have another affordable protein option to work with. Another winner is the dairy industry, especially those processors in the Greek yogurt business.
New York-based Chobani, the largest manufacturer of Greek yogurt in the U.S., is currently supplying the yogurt for seven of the states in the pilot program, but the USDA will accept bids from Greek yogurt suppliers for the 2015-2016 school year.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2015
April 27, 2015
