Twenty-two judges have been selected for the 2009 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest, which will be expanding for the seventh year in a row. This content is completely unique because it is the only national judging contest for all dairy products in North America.

The 2009 contest judges are as follows:

Cheese
Kate Neumeier Clarke, WI Aging & Grading Cheese
Ken Neumeier, WI Aging & Grading Cheese          
Paula Piontek, Palmero’s Pizza
Harvey Jensen, Curd Tek
Bill Novak, Novak’s Cheese
Jeff Mattes, Consultant
Noreen, Ratzlaff, USDA 
Gianni Toffolon, BelGioioso Cheese

Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream & Sour Cream Dips
Herb Wyckoff, Crest Foods
Don Tribby, Danisco 

Yogurt & Cultured Milk
Gary Pieper, Chr. Hansen
Lloyd Ward, Country Fresh

Whey
Terry Lensmire, Trega Foods
Michelle Ludtke, Grande Cheese

Fluid Milk & Whipping Cream
Charles White, Randolph Associates
Connie Kellogg, Schreiber Foods
Jane Zeien, Consultant

Ice Cream & Sherbet
Scott Rankin, UW Madison 
Tom Kelman, Consultant               

Butter
Mike Peterson, DATCP
John Simpson, USDA 

The contest officially began in late June when the contest brochures were mailed out to dairy companies throughout North America. All contest entry forms will be due on August 7. 
During the week of August 17, contest entries will be shipped to either High Track Warehouse or Babcock Hall (depending on product category).

Judging goes as follows: ice cream, sherbet and whey products on August 25, cheese and butter on August 26, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, sour cream-based dips, fluid milk, buttermilk and whipping cream on August 27. The winning entries will be auctioned off at World Dairy Expo on September 29.

For more information on the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest or to obtain a contest registration brochure, please call the Wisconsin Dairy Products Assn. at 608/836-3336 or visit www.wdpa.net.