World Championship Cheese Contest expands 2022 categories
Among the new classes this year, cheese curds make their official debut at the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest with classes for both flavored and unflavored curds.
“Though cheese curds are a familiar staple in Wisconsin, the tradition is becoming a sales phenomenon far beyond the Upper Midwest,” says WCMA executive director John Umhoefer.
“We’re excited to offer this and several other new opportunities for cheesemakers and dairy processors to compete for the international prestige and valuable recognition the World Championship Cheese Contest provides.”
Categories have been added for regular and flavored cream cheeses, as defined in US Standards of Identity. Two open classes have been added: one for semi-soft cheeses with natural rinds and another for cheeses with blue molding. Sheep’s milk cheeses with blue mold now have a unique class. Competitors will see a new category for smear ripened cheeses that are washed with wine or spirits. Two new classes of dry dairy ingredients are also available this year, for instantized whey protein concentrate 80 and whey protein isolate 90.
The World Championship Cheese Contest has been hosted by WCMA since 1957. In 2022, entrants from around the world will compete across 141 distinct classes. The top-scoring products in each category will be announced on March 3 following two days of evaluation by an international team of judges. The best cheese in each class will continue to a final round of judging to select the 2022 World Champion Cheese.
In 2020, Swiss companies took the top two spots as 3,667 cheese, butter, yogurt, and dry dairy products were entered in the contest.
For more details and to enter, click here. The deadline is January 26, 2022.
