Chobani is launching its first-ever shelf-stable low-fat dairy milk product, Chobani Super Milk, to support communities impacted by natural disasters or food insecurity. This innovative product, which lasts up to nine months without refrigeration, will not be available for sale in stores but will be donated to those in need.
Chobani will initially produce an average of 145,000 pounds of Super Milk monthly, to be distributed by the American Red Cross and local food banks and pantries in Central New York and Southern Idaho. Becca Dittrich, Chobani’s vice president of impact, highlighted that dairy is one of the top five most requested items in assistance networks due to its nutrient-dense, protein-rich properties. However, traditional dairy’s need for refrigeration often limits its accessibility in disaster areas or food pantries with limited refrigeration capacity.
“Shelf-stable dairy opens up an entire realm of possibilities,” Dittrich said. “We’ve created a product that will fill a need that is really hard to fill otherwise.”
Chobani has committed to only donating Super Milk and has no plans to sell it in stores. The privately held company, best known for its Greek yoghurt, has a longstanding mission of using food as a “force for good.” The idea for Super Milk emerged after the devastating earthquake in Turkey last year, the birthplace of Chobani’s founder and CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya.
With natural disasters and hunger affecting millions annually, the demand for nutrient-dense, shelf-stable milk is expected to grow. Chobani recently donated Super Milk to wildfire-affected residents in New Mexico, demonstrating its potential to support people in crisis.
Developing Super Milk required Chobani to reallocate resources from its revenue-generating products. This included time from scientists and marketers to create and brand the product and temporarily shifting production from oat milk to Super Milk.
“From everything we’ve seen, this is a really unique endeavour,” Dittrich said. “It seeks to be a proof point of what business can do when it uses its knowledge, expertise, logistics, access to equipment and resources, and skills to address problems, whether industry-related or social.”
Chobani Super Milk boasts superior nutrition compared to traditional milk, with 50% more protein, 25% less sugar, and a quarter more calcium. It also contains prebiotic fibre for digestive health and is fortified with vitamins A & D.