The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA), Madison, Wis., sent out entry forms for the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest to dairy plants in the United States and Canada. This contest, sponsored by WDPA and Dairy Foods magazine, is the only dairy product contest of its kind in North America.

This year’s contest promises to be even bigger and better since it will be expanding to include a wider variety of dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, sour cream-based dips, whipping cream, sherbet, buttermilk, non-fat dried milk, butter, cottage cheese, whey, fluid milk and an innovative category. With a comprehensive format, this contest will offer companies an unprecedented opportunity to have their products compete with similar products from across North America in vying for the “best of the best.” There will be 74 classes for first-place trophies, along with two grand champions - one for cheese and butter and one for Grade A products and ice cream.  

A company may submit as many entries as they wish. All entry forms must be mailed to the Wisconsin Dairy Products Assn. by Aug. 1. Once a company has submitted their entry forms and fees, they must ship their contest entries during the week of Aug. 8-11.   

All cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, sour cream-based dips, buttermilk, whipping cream and fluid milk entries will be shipped to the High Track Warehouse in McFarland, Wis., while ice cream, sherbet, dried whey products and creative/innovative technology entries will be shipped to UW-Madison Babcock Hall.

Judging will take place on:

    Aug. 16 - ice cream, sherbet, whey products and creative/innovative technologies
Aug. 17 - cheese and butter
    Aug. 18 - yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, fluid milk, buttermilk, sour cream-based dips and whipping cream
    
Judging at the Madison Area Technical College’s Culinary Arts School will allow the many students and chef-trainees at the culinary arts school the unique opportunity to closely observe and interact with the contest judges throughout the day. Similar to past years, WDPA will be donating the non-winning entries to the school for classroom training and education. Judging at UW-Madison’s Babcock Hall will once again affording dairy students the opportunity to be a part of this unique experience.

After judging is concluded, all winners will be notified. The winning entries will then be auctioned off on Oct. 4 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. A portion of the auction proceeds will be used to fund the Dr. Robert Bradley Scholarship, which will be awarded to a student pursuing a career in the dairy industry. 

If a company did not receive an entry form, or would like more information, please contact WDPA at 608-836-3336 or at info@wdpa.net. Complete contest information can be found at www.wdpa.net.