The brave, chilly athletes representing the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia certainly need their protein. That’s why Chobani, maker of tasty strained yogurt products, was sending a large shipment of the stuff to Team USA in the Olympic Village. U.S. officials and Chobani lost their standoff with Russian bureaucracy, though, and the yogurt will not be allowed to enter the country.

This dispute isn’t something new that popped up during the Olympics. Russia imposed an embargo on U.S. dairy products three years ago. In order to get an exception to import the yogurt, Chobani was supposed to get certifications that the company insists aren’t needed. Unable to obtain them in time, Operation Creamy Greek Yogurt came to an end. Even the intervention of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) couldn’t free the yogurt before the end of the Games.

What happens to the dairy products, which are currently chilling in refrigerated storage at Newark Liberty Airport? They’ll be distributed to food banks in New York and New Jersey.

The most important thing is that the 5,000 cups of yogurt will not be going to waste. Ordinary people who are struggling deserve yogurt, too. Maybe the donations will feed a future Olympic athlete.

Chobani to donate Olympic team’s yogurt to food banks [Politico]

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