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| Chobani on the menu at New Jersey soup kitchen after Russian rejection | Chobani on the menu at New Jersey soup kitchen after Russian rejection |
| (7 months later) | |
| It didn’t work out for Team USA, and a couple of senators are miffed. | It didn’t work out for Team USA, and a couple of senators are miffed. |
| But for a soup kitchen in New Jersey, the refusal by Russian officials to accept thousands of containers of premium Chobani yogurt has produced an Olympic-sized windfall. | But for a soup kitchen in New Jersey, the refusal by Russian officials to accept thousands of containers of premium Chobani yogurt has produced an Olympic-sized windfall. |
| After 5,000 containers of yogurt meant for the US Olympic team competing in Sochi was barred entry to Russia and got stuck at Newark airport, Chobani announced it would donate the shipment to one local shelter and to one in New York City. | After 5,000 containers of yogurt meant for the US Olympic team competing in Sochi was barred entry to Russia and got stuck at Newark airport, Chobani announced it would donate the shipment to one local shelter and to one in New York City. |
| Barbara Maran, director of the St John’s soup kitchen in Newark, confirmed Friday that a shipment of 1,000 containers of Chobani yogurt was expected on Tuesday. | Barbara Maran, director of the St John’s soup kitchen in Newark, confirmed Friday that a shipment of 1,000 containers of Chobani yogurt was expected on Tuesday. |
| “It’s a wonderful thing. We very rarely get something as nice as yogurt, and so it’s just a wonderful donation for us,” Maran said in a telephone interview. “All of our clients that come here to eat are going to love it … It’s going to make a great addition to the breakfast.” | “It’s a wonderful thing. We very rarely get something as nice as yogurt, and so it’s just a wonderful donation for us,” Maran said in a telephone interview. “All of our clients that come here to eat are going to love it … It’s going to make a great addition to the breakfast.” |
| St John’s is a five-day-a-week soup kitchen serving breakfast and hot lunch to 500-700 people a day, Maran said. “We’ll go through [the yogurt] quickly, definitely, and we always share it out with a couple of smaller places that are in our area, to make sure everybody reaps the benefits,” she said. | St John’s is a five-day-a-week soup kitchen serving breakfast and hot lunch to 500-700 people a day, Maran said. “We’ll go through [the yogurt] quickly, definitely, and we always share it out with a couple of smaller places that are in our area, to make sure everybody reaps the benefits,” she said. |
| Russia has had an embargo on dairy imports from the United States since September 2010, according to the US Dairy Export Council. It was possible, however, that the ban on commercial imports would not have applied to a private shipment of yogurt not intended for sale. | Russia has had an embargo on dairy imports from the United States since September 2010, according to the US Dairy Export Council. It was possible, however, that the ban on commercial imports would not have applied to a private shipment of yogurt not intended for sale. |
| The company released a statement quoting company founder Hamdi Ulukaya expressing disappointment at the Russian authorities’ decision. “As a proud supporter of the Olympics and Team USA over the past four years, we’re disappointed our athletes won’t be able to enjoy Chobani while they compete in the games as we all hoped,” Ulukaya said in the statement. | The company released a statement quoting company founder Hamdi Ulukaya expressing disappointment at the Russian authorities’ decision. “As a proud supporter of the Olympics and Team USA over the past four years, we’re disappointed our athletes won’t be able to enjoy Chobani while they compete in the games as we all hoped,” Ulukaya said in the statement. |
| Maran said she was delighted. “I’m just thrilled that our homeless here will be able to benefit from it,” Maran said. “You know the athletes didn’t get it, but a lot of very needy people will.” | Maran said she was delighted. “I’m just thrilled that our homeless here will be able to benefit from it,” Maran said. “You know the athletes didn’t get it, but a lot of very needy people will.” |
| For Chobani, nothing tastes better than some positive PR. The company, based in New York state, was set up in 2007 by Ulukaya, a Turkish immigrant, and has become a poster child for state lawmakers keen to tout the area’s enterprise credentials. | For Chobani, nothing tastes better than some positive PR. The company, based in New York state, was set up in 2007 by Ulukaya, a Turkish immigrant, and has become a poster child for state lawmakers keen to tout the area’s enterprise credentials. |
| But it suffered a battering of bad publicity last year when it had to recall a batch of yogurts following a mold scare in products originating at its Iowa plant. More recently, multinational rival Yoplait launched an aggressive marketing campaign targeting Chobani by name. | |
| “Nobody should fight over a beautiful cup of yogurt,” Ulukaya told the New York Times. | “Nobody should fight over a beautiful cup of yogurt,” Ulukaya told the New York Times. |
| Only a yogurt cynic would think that this particular battle was pitched by Chobani. | |
| This article has been updated to include a statement from Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya. | This article has been updated to include a statement from Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya. |