Roseburg, OR — Umpqua Dairy Small Curd Cottage Cheese was selected by an independent panel of judges and awarded the “First Place Trophy” as the “Best of the Best” in North America at the World Dairy Expo (WDE) Championship Dairy Product Contest. Umpqua Dairy received a score of 99.9% for its First Place Cottage Cheese entry.
The WDE Championship Dairy Product Contest is completely unique and the only one of its kind in North America, since no other national contest includes all dairy products. 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.
“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 WDE 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 an all-encompassing product competition, where they have the unique opportunity to compete in a prestigious, all-dairy competition at the national level.”
Judging was held on August 13-14 at the Madison Area Technical College (MATC) Culinary School and August 15 at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Babcock Hall. Cottage cheese samples are judged by awarding points from a 100 point scale for flavor, body and texture, appearance and color, packaging and deducting points for various defects.
In Madison, Wisconsin on October 1, the WDE will award beautiful brass trophies to first place winners in each category. The World Dairy Expo is the international dairy meeting place, a five day event showcasing the finest in dairy genetics and the newest technologies available to the dairy industry. In addition, a contest auction will be held, 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. These scholarships are awarded annually to deserving students pursuing careers in the dairy industry.
Still family owned and located in the heart of Oregon’s Umpqua Valley, Umpqua Dairy Products, Co. operates as the largest independent dairy in southern Oregon. Their award winning line of dairy, ice cream and juice products are distributed throughout the Western United States. A tradition of unsurpassed quality, freshness and customer service makes Umpqua Dairy the #1 choice for delicious, refreshing dairy products.
Source: Umpqua Dairy Products, Co.