SDSU at 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest

The 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest was held in Madison, Wisconsin in March. This is the world’s largest competition for cheese and is held every two years. Cheese makers and butter makers submit their very best products to be evaluated by a panel of international judges that look for the best characteristics of flavor, body and texture as well as appearance. This years contest featured almost 2000 entries from around the globe. Michael Spycher of Wasen, Switzerland was named the 2008 Grand Champion for a Gruyere. The SDSU Dairy Science Department was well represented. Four of the 22 expert judges at the contest had an affiliation with the South Dakota State University Dairy Science Department.

Pictured from left to right: Tim Czmowski, B.S. ’85, General Manager, Green Meadows Dairy, Hull, IA; Mark Johnson, M.S. ’76, Senior Scientist, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI; Virgil Metzger, B.S. ’69, M.S. ’71, Program Manager, Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL; Derek Griesse, B.S. ’08, Dairy Science Senior; Bob Baer, Professor of Dairy Science and Coach of Dairy Products Judging Team.

11 March 2008

South Dakota State University / Dairy Science Department
Dairy Microbiology Rm 109 / Phone: 605-688-4116
College of Agricultural and Biological Sciences