Russia won't let Chobani yogurt in Sochi for Olympics

A shipment of New York-made Greek yogurt waiting in a New Jersey airport might just go to waste.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has sent a letter to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach urging the Olympic host to allow U.S. Olympic Team sponosor Chobani to ship its Greek yogurt to athletes in Sochi.

The Russians are not allowing the shipment to go through without "unattainable" customs certifications, said Schumer, D-N.Y.

"With the Sochi Olympic Games starting at the end of this week, there is simply no time to waste in getting our Olympic athletes and employees a nutritious and delicious breakfast – Chobani Greek Yogurt," Schumer said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also urged the Russians to expedite needed approvals for the Greek yogurt. The yogurt is sitting at the Newark International Airport waiting to be shipped, according to Schumer's office. The amount of yogurt was not immediately available.

In recent years, Greek yogurt has received much support in New York. Federal grants went to build and expand plants in Batavia and other upstate communities, leading to hundreds of new jobs. Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which supervises the federal school lunch program, said it's evaluating its options after what Schumer called a successful test run of Greek yogurt in school lunches recently.

It is still unclear, though, if Greek yogurt will be added to school lunch menus nationwide.

Schumer's Letter

Dear Ambassador Sergey Kislyak:

I write today to bring to your attention an urgent issue that has resulted in the shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games being withheld entry to the Russian Federation. As the United States and its Olympic athletes prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games which commence later this week, the Russian Federation should accept the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s AMS sanitary certificate for a one-time non-commercial shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt to U.S. athletes and staff.

As you know, the USDA has sent a letter to the Russian Federation's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) requesting permission for Chobani to be able to supply U.S. athletes during the games. The USDA is seeking the approval of an AMS sanitary certificate for export to the Russian Federation, which would be only for a one-time shipment of Greek yogurt and solely for the consumption of U.S. citizens during the 2014 Olympic games.

I understand the need for high food safety standards for dairy products. However, the U.S. government has confirmed that sanitary standards have been met to ensure that this yogurt will be safe for consumption by American Citizens attending and participating in the 2014 Winter Olympics. As the world looks forward to a successful 2014 Winter Olympics, I urge your country's immediate approval of the entry of this shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator