World Dairy Expo has announced the winners of the Championship Dairy Product Contest. This year’s contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Assn. (WDPA), received a record number of 820 entries for cheese, butter, fluid milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, sour cream, sherbet, cultured milk, sour cream dips, whipping cream, dried whey and creative/innovative products from dairy processors throughout North America.
Sartori Company, Plymouth, Wis. was selected as the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion, while Upstate Niagara Co-op, Buffalo, NY was selected as the Grade A Grand Champion and Gifford’s Dairy, Skowhegan, Maine was the Ice Cream Grand Champion.
“It is amazing how dairy manufacturers have embraced this contest,” says Brad Legreid, executive director of WDPA. “Due to the tremendous support from dairy companies throughout North America, the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest has averaged a 15 percent annual rate of growth over its first eleven years. This is unprecedented growth for a dairy product contest. This growth is a direct reflection of the high level of interest that dairy processors have in entering the only judging contest of its kind in North America. Because this contest is all encompassing, dairy manufacturers have the unique opportunity to compete in a prestigious, all-dairy national contest.”
On October 1, the contest’s auction will be held at World Dairy Expo in Madison, at which time all category first place winners will be auctioned off. A portion of the proceeds from the October 1 auction will be used to fund various scholarships.