Two organizations managed by Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill., seek entries to their contests. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, seeks entries to its U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program.  The Dairy Research Institute has issued a call for entries to its New Product Competition.

The sustainability program, now in its second year, recognizes dairy processors, dairy farms, businesses and partnerships for their efforts in reducing their carbon footprints. Nominations are open through Nov. 15 in the following categories:

• Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability
• Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability
• Outstanding Achievement in Renewable Energy
• Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency

An independent panel of judges (including Dairy Foodseditor-in-chief Jim Carper) will evaluate all nominations based on the program’s or project’s results as measured by triple-bottom-line success — economic, environmental and social. Judges also will assess: the potential for adoption of the practices by other dairy farms and businesses; demonstrated learning, innovation and improvement; and scalability. Winners will be announced in April 2013.

Darigold, the Seattle-based dairy cooperative, won the award in 2012 (see April 2012 issue). Oakhurst Dairy, Portland, Maine, received an honorable mention.

For more information or to nominate, go to USDairy.com/Sustainability/Awards.

A contest for college students

The Dairy Research Institute’s second annual New Product Competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students in the United States and Canada. This year’s competition challenges student teams to develop a new dairy product for the morning meal occasion, which includes any meal eaten before breakfast, for breakfast, as a morning meal replacement or morning snack.

The 2012 winner was a team from Clemson University which created an oat-infused vanilla milk, called “tOATal Milk,” that is enhanced with a protein, probiotics, conjugated linoleic acid and fiber to maximize workout results and enhance recovery.

A judging panel will select three teams to be recognized at the annual American Dairy Science Association Joint Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, July 8 to 12, 2013. The three winning concepts will be shown at the U.S. Dairy Export Council booth at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting in Chicago, July 13 to 16, 2013. The first place team will receive $8,000. Second and third place prizes are $5,000 and $3,000, respectively. See www.USDairy.com/NewProductCompetition for entry information. The deadline is Jan. 15, 2013.