The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA), Middleton, Wis., said it will be sponsoring its 19^th annual World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest this year. The contest, the only one of its kind, will once again be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo.

This year’s contest will have 100 different categories, encompassing a wide range of dairy products, including cheese, butter, milk, ice cream, yogurt, whey, cottage cheese, sour cream, whipping cream and more. The last contest received a record 1,500 product entries, WDPA said.

“To reach 1,500 entries in such a short period of time is unprecedented and a testament to the inclusiveness of all dairy products, as well as the professional, exacting standards used for judging these product entries,” said Brad Legreid, WDPA’s executive director. “We take a great deal of pride ensuring that all aspects of the contest are second-to-none so that participating companies are proud to be associated with this event. Winning companies parlay their success into new and profitable sales and marketing opportunities. Even non-winning companies benefit by seeing how their products are evaluated by 48 judges who are leading dairy sensory experts.”

WDPA is issuing a call for judges for the contest. Robert Bradley, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – Madison, is the head judge and will lead all contest judging. WDPA said it is seeking judges for these product categories:

• Cheese and butter — 16 judges needed.
• Yogurt — four judges needed.
• Ice cream and sherbet — 10 judges needed.
• Whey products — two judges needed.
• Cottage cheese, sour cream and sour cream dips — six judges needed.
• Fluid milk and cultured buttermilk — 10 judges needed.

Interested parties should send their resumes to: Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, 8383 Greenway Blvd. #130, Middleton, WI 53562 by May 20, 2022. A WDPA contest committee will review all resumes and select the judges.

WDPA said it will once again be teaming up with a number of other organizations this year to ensure another successful contest:

• World Dairy Expo. This world showplace is a perfect stage for the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. More than 70,000 people from around the world attend World Dairy Expo each year.
• MATC Culinary School and University of Wisconsin – Madison. WDPA will conduct all three days of judging for the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest in August at the Madison College Culinary School.

“The Madison College judging site has been a win-win situation for Madison College and the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association,” said Legreid. “Our judges enjoy interacting with the Culinary Arts School staff and students. It’s a great way to promote outstanding dairy products to these future chefs.”

WDPA said it will donate non-winning entries to the Culinary Arts School for classroom training and education.

WDPA also said it annually funds three scholarships as a result of the contest, including:

• The Dr. Robert Bradley Scholarship. This $2,000 scholarship was established in 2009 in honor of the many contributions Bradley has made to the dairy industry throughout his career.
• The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association Scholarship. This $2,000 scholarship first was offered in 2012. Eligible students include any undergraduate in the Food Science, Dairy Science or dairy industry-related programs at University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Wisconsin – Platteville and University of Wisconsin – Madison River Falls. High school seniors who will be entering one of the programs are also eligible.
• Madison College Culinary Arts Scholarship. A $2,000 donation to fund the Madison College Culinary Arts Program, which is the training ground for future chefs.

WDPA said it also donates $2,500 to the National Collegiate Judging Contest. For more than 90 years, the dairy industry has benefited from this contest since it trains college students the art of evaluating dairy products, which, in turn, prepares them for life-long dairy careers.

WDPA said it also will continue to donate contest products to various charities, including the River Food Pantry and other charitable groups.

“It’s an honor for the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association to sponsor a prestigious contest like the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest,” Legreid said. “It’s extremely rewarding to see how this contest benefits so many dairy companies throughout North America and other parts of the world.”

Contest entry forms will be mailed to dairy plants in late June. All entries must be shipped during the week of Aug. 15, with judging taking place August 23-25. The winning entries will be auctioned off on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at World Dairy Expo.

For more information, contact WDPA at 608-836-3336 or via email at info@wdpa.net.