Emmi Roth USA, Monroe, Wis., was selected as the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion, Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby, Wis., was selected as the Grade A Grand Champion and Gifford’s Dairy, Skowhegan, Maine, was the Ice Cream Grand Champion of the World Dairy Expo (WDE) Championship Dairy Product Contest.

This year’s contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Assn. (WDPA), received a record number of 1,055 entries for cheese, butter, fluid milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, sour cream, sherbet, cultured milk, sour cream dips, whipping cream, dried whey and creative/innovative products from dairy processors throughout North America.

“It is extremely gratifying how dairy manufacturers have embraced this contest,” says Brad Legreid, executive director of WDPA. Calling it “a prestigious, all-dairy national contest,” Legreid said the contest has averaged a 15% annual rate of growth over its first 12 years.

Judging was held on Aug. 19th and 20th at the Madison Area Technical College Culinary School and Aug. 21 at UW-Madison’s Babcock Hall. 

All category first place winners will be auctioned on Sept. 30th during the World Dairy Expo in Madison, A portion of the proceeds from the auction will fund various scholarships to students pursuing careers in the dairy industry. For more information on the contest and auction please call 608.836.3336.

Click this link to see a PDF of the winners of each category.