US begins Greek yogurt pilot in schools

The US Department of Agriculture is set to begin a pilot programme in four US states – New York, Idaho, Arizona and Tennessee – for the inclusion of Greek yogurt to the nation’s school lunch programme. This federal scheme serves meals in 100,000 schools country-wide. The move comes after lobbying by New York Senators, as well as a Senator from Idaho – both states where Greek yogurt companies such as Chobani have a strong presence. The process has moved quickly, with it only taking eight months, versus nearly a decade for tofu to be included.

The move will be a bonus for the New York yogurt industry, which currently generates 40 per cent of the $6.5bn (€4.9bn) annual yogurt sales in the US.