Continental Dairy Facilities LLC, Coopersville, Mich., said it will host the Midwest Regional Dairy Products Evaluation Contest on April 7. The collegiate contest, which has become known as the “Mini National,” is where most schools determine which students will compete in the national contest — the Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest (www.dairyproductscontest.org).

At the regional contest, teams of students will evaluate and score six dairy products, including 2% fluid milk, butter, cheddar cheese, vanilla ice cream, cottage cheese and strawberry-flavored Swiss-style yogurt, Continental Dairy said. The teams and individuals scoring closest to previously submitted expert evaluations will be honored with awards.

The competition is designed to help students hone their sensory skills and enhance their abilities to conduct evaluations using standardized scorecards.

“We are extremely proud to host some of the best college students in the nation as they demonstrate their knowledge of the dairy industry and the wonderful products we have to offer,” said Steve Cooper, Continental Dairy’s president and general manager. “We believe education is the future of our industry, and we are honored to support these hard-working students and the professors who have trained them. As the competition indicates, they are the cream of the crop!”