Mark your calendars for April 17, because dairy evaluation teams from across the nation will be gathering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the 100th Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest.
“Students are basically trying to match the scores from the industry experts,” said Brandon Prochaska, lead Cheddar judge and contest Board Member. “The contest tests their skills but also teaches them.”
At the end of the contest, the industry experts’ scores are shared and students can taste the products again to compare their results to the judges, a release explained.
Six different dairy products—butter, vanilla ice cream, cottage cheese, strawberry yogurt, Cheddar cheese, and fluid milk—will be judged by teams from across the United States. Industry experts judge the same products, and the results from the collegiate teams are measured against those of the industry experts to determine the winning teams and individuals.
The contest is a fixture in the dairy industry, held annually since 1916, only pausing during WWI, WWII, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a valuable learning experience for students and many participants in previous contests have gone on to work in the industry.
“The next generation of professionals are learning this extremely valuable skill and they’re networking with people in the industry; it’s a really valuable opportunity for the students,” Prochaska added.
This year, the contest will be held April 17 in Milwaukee at the Baird Center. The contest is in conjunction with CheeseExpo, where more than 4,000 cheese industry leaders, suppliers, and marketers gather from all over the world to network, celebrate, and share information about the latest dairy processing insights and technology. The event is hosted by the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).
Best of luck to all the contestants!
