Idaho Senator Mike Crapo toured the Chobani yogurt plant in Twin Falls Tuesday. Along with Chobani executives and agricultural leaders, Crapo hopes that soon school children in Idaho and around the country will be eating more Greek yogurt.
Crapo says the USDA may add Chobani yogurt as an option on school menus. He says the department is considering a pilot program in four states that would bring the protein-rich dairy product to kids this fall. This could mean more Chobani jobs in Idaho.
“I’m sure the hope is that if this program goes through, that the demand for yogurt will increase sufficiently to justify a further expansion of the plant,” says Crapo.
The Senator says the Twin Falls Chobani location is a success story in Idaho’s dairy industry. And he hopes growing demand for the popular yogurt will bring more jobs to the state. Right now, the Twin Falls plant employs 600 people.
So what is the senator’s favorite kind of Chobani yogurt?
“I don’t know that there’s one kind that jumps out at me more than the others, but I can tell you that the kind I just had was blueberry and it was delicious.”
Crapo says he wants Idaho schools involved in the pilot program. New York state is also interested in participating. That state also has a Chobani plant.
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio
