Chobani seals Cornell University partnership with $1.5m donation

14-Oct-2013 - Last updated on 15-Oct-2013 at 12:52 GMT

New York-based Greek yogurt manufacturer Chobani has teamed up with Cornell University to promote food science and innovation in the dairy industry.

Through the partnership, which was sealed with a $1.5m cash gift to Cornell University, Chobani hopes to further elevate New York State’s status as a US capital of Greek yogurt leader through “innovative research.”

Its donation will be spent on establishing a research and training program that will support graduate student research and workforce development in dairy quality.

“Today is an exciting day for Chobani as we formalize and bolster our commitment to food innovation and quality with these two endeavors,” said Chobani president and chief operating officer, David Denholm. “Cornell’s Department of Food Science is one of the leading programs of its kind globally – a match to Chobani’s leading role in Greek yogurt and our mission to bring better food options to everyone.”

Also commenting, Kathryn J Boor, the Ronald P Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said: “This partnership will strengthen the science behind New York’s dairy industry and help us better accomplish our land-grant mission to bring new information, technologies and a well-prepared workforce to this expansive industry.”

In addition to its partnership with Cornell University, Chobani also announced the appointment of Dr Alejandro Mazzota to the role of vice president of global quality, food safety, and regulatory affairs.