Cheese

World Championship Cheese Contest announces judging team

Contest entries are due Jan. 31.

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), organizers of the World Championship Cheese Contest, announced the largest-ever lineup of internationally renowned judges set to evaluate entries March 3-5 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wis. Contest entries are due Jan. 31, and may be submitted via www.WorldChampionCheese.org.

The 2020 judging team consists of 55 experienced cheese graders, cheese buyers, dairy science professors and researchers, hailing from 19 countries and 14 American states, WCMA said. They include:

Keith Glewis, FoodPlus Technical Consultants, Australia
Russell Smith, Dairy Australia, Australia
Kurt Kroissl, Berglandmilch, Austria
Dr. Mucio Furtado, DuPont, Brazil
Thierry Martin, Agropur Canada, Canada
Gurth Pretty, consultant, Canada
Samir Kalit, Ph.D., University of Zagreb, Croatia
Per Oleson, St. Clemens Food Products, Denmark
Dieter Koch-Hartke, Deutsches Milchkontor, Germany
Enda Howley, Ornua, Ireland
Dr. Giuseppe Rostiti, Mofin ALCE group, Italy
Takayuki Miura, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Japan
Luis Jiménez-Maroto, Center for Dairy Research, Mexico
Dr. Arnoldo Lopez-Hernandez, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mexico
Douwe Dijkstra, Rouveen Kaasspecialiteiten, Netherlands
Gerrit Jansen, FrieslandCampina, Netherlands
Neil Willman, New Zealand Cheese School, New Zealand
Miguel Rolo, Etapa Improvável, Portugal
Kobus Mulder, Mulder Consult, South Africa
María Martín Ganado, Quesos Ilbesa, Spain
Christian Schmutz, Fromarte, Switzerland
Stefan Truttman, Fromarte, Switzerland
Adrian Fowler, Fowler's Forest Dairies Ltd., United Kingdom
Sarah Stewart, Neal's Yard Dairy, United Kingdom
Jill Allen, Tillamook, Oregon, United States
Greg Anderson, Kroger Co., Minnesota, United States
Marc Bates, Bates Consulting, Oregon, United States
Larry Bell, Bell Consulting, Wisconsin, United States
Kimberlee Burrington, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. Richard Dargan, Dargan Dairy Consulting, Florida, United States
Dominique Delugeau, Saputo Cheese USA, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. MaryAnne Drake, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, United States
Dr. Nana Farkye, California Polytechnic State University, California, United States
Chad Galer, Dairy Management Inc., Illinois, United States
Craig Gile, Cabot Creamery, Vermont, United States
Glenn Hatcher, Pacific Cheese Co., California, United States
John Jaeggi, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. Mark Johnson, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Andy Johnson, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Dan Konz, DairiConcepts, Minnesota, United States
Drew Kordus, Great Lakes Cheese, Ohio, United States
Laura Laehn-Block, Masters Gallery, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. Susan Larson, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Terry Lensmire, Lensmire Dairy Consulting, Wisconsin, United States
Charles Lindberg, NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets (retired), New York, United States
Christophe Megevand, Schuman Cheese, New Jersey, United States
Virgil Metzger, cheese and dairy consultant, Illinois, United States
Dr. Lloyd Metzger, South Dakota State University, South Dakota, United States
Mike Pederson, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin, United States
David Satterness, Chr. Hansen, South Dakota, United States
Dean Sommer, Center for Dairy Research, Wisconsin, United States
Cathy Strange, Whole Foods Market, Texas, United States
Randy Swensen, Wisconsin Aging and Grading, Wisconsin, United States
Dr. Steve Zeng, Langston University, Oklahoma, United States
Matt Zimbric, Foremost Farms, Wisconsin, United States

“Our contest judges are known for their expertise in technical cheese evaluation, one of the elements that sets the World Championship Cheese Contest apart from other competitions,” said Kirsten Strohmenger, events manager for Madison, Wis.-based WCMA.

Strohmenger noted that the judging panel will work under the guidance of Chief Judge Jim Mueller of Mueller Consulting in Green Bay, Wis., and the revered “Red Hats,” the contest’s elite team of assistant chief judges, including Tim Czmowski of Agropur Inc. in Hull, Iowa; Stan Dietsche of Oshkosh Cheese Sales & Storage in Oshkosh, Wis.; Josef Hubatschek of ALPMA, an international supplier to the dairy processing industry; Mariana Marques de Almeida of Ms. J and Co. in Monroe, Wis.; and Sandy Toney of Masters Gallery Foods in Plymouth, Wis. Robert Aschebrock of Stratford, Wis., and Bill Schlinsog of Middleton, Wis., will serve as chief judges emeriti.