Olympic Chobani Update: Unloved Yogurt to Find a New Home

After one week of US-Russian diplomatic arguments over whether Chobani yogurt could cross into Vladimir Putin’s playground, Mother Russia has officially said no.

Recently, we wrote that 5,000 cartons of Chobani were headed for the Sochi Winter Olympic athletes but the food was caught amidst a US-Russian government kerfuffle since earlier this month. Russia isn’t fond of American dairy products and they’ve been banned since 2010, reports the New York Times. But New York Senator Charles E. Schumer, and yogurt enthusiast, called for action: “There is simply no time to waste in getting our Olympic athletes a nutritious and delicious food,” adding “the Russian authorities should get past ‘nyet.'” He even asked the Obama administration for help, but … Putin still said no.

“We tried our best,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and chief executive of Chobani, who said he was disappointed that the Russian government had not been more accommodating.

“Nobody should fight over a beautiful cup of yogurt,” Mr. Ulukaya said. “If anything, it brings culture to everybody.”

Now the Sochi outcast yogurt will be donated elsewhere because, like the honey badger before him, Putin don’t care.