NORWICH – With any luck, 31 million United States children will be able to enjoy the delicious taste and nutritional benefits of Greek-style yogurt in their school breakfasts and lunches next year.

That was the message delivered Thursday at a press conference with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Richard Hanna at Chobani corporate headquarters in Norwich. The two took the opportunity during their campaign schedules to show bi-partisan support for Chenango County’s most prominent business and New York’s fastest growing industry, not to mention the dairy farmers that support it.

Sen. Gillibrand said a simple nutritional guideline change at the United States Department of Agriculture is all it would take for school children to enjoy Chobani and other Greek-style yogurts as an option. And with continued attention on the effort through the end of the year, she hoped the new-style yogurt could be served in cafeterias by January.

Currently, Greek yogurt is not differentiated from traditional yogurt despite its higher protein content. But under its present classification, it is more expensive for schools to purchase because it requires up to three times as much milk to produce.

“Greek yogurt requires three times as much milk and delivers two times as much protein. We need to reclassify it as a protein source, an affordable, high protein option in the schools,” Senator Gillibrand said, adding that school systems would actually save money in the end because Greek yogurt “is less expensive than meat.”

Sen. Gillibrand and Rep. Hanna sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting the rule change to reflect the health benefits of Greek yogurt.

Hanna highlighted his youth spent growing up on a dairy farm in Herkimer, and the importance of Chobani’s product to the agricultural industry and for new jobs in upstate New York. He remarked on the company’s “amazing story, a world class story” of creating 1,200 jobs in less than five years.