senate passes 2012 farm bill; focus now shifts to u.s. house · submitted by sen. jim demint,...

Reprinted with permission from the June 22, 2012, edition of CHEESE MARKET NEWS® © Copyright 2012 Quarne Publishing LLC; PH: (509) 962-4026; www.cheesemarketnews.com

U.S. milk production climbs 2 percent in MayWASHINGTON — Milk production in the 23 major milk-producing states during May totaled 16.40 billion pounds, up 2.1 percent from May 2011, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). (All figures are rounded. Please see CMN’s Milk Production chart on page 19.)

April revised production in the 23 major states, at 16.02 billion pounds, was up 3.5 percent from April 2011. The April revision represents an increase of 38 million pounds or 0.2 percent from last month’s preliminary production estimate.

For the entire United States, May 2012 production is estimated at 17.63 billion pounds, up 2.0 percent from May 2012, NASS reports. NASS says there were an estimated 9.27 million cows on U.S. farms in May, down 4,000 head from April 2012 but still 76,000 head more than in May 2011. Production per cow in May

Cheesemakers utilize cultures for unique properties in cheese By Rena Archwamety

MADISON, Wis. — Cheese is thought to have originated with an accident in the desert, experts say, when a traveler carrying a pouch made of a camel’s stomach went to drink the milk he had stored in it, only to find that it had turned into solid curd.

“The camel’s stomach had an enzyme, which coagulated the milk, and the bacteria gave it flavor,” says Dr. Mali Reddy, president of the American Dairy and Food Consulting Laboratories and International Media and Cultures Inc. (IMAC).

Cheesemaking evolved over the centuries, and different cultures and flavors developed in cheeses native to different regions, Reddy says. With the advent of modern science in the early 1900s, researchers began to study the specific cultures.

Today, cheesemakers, scientists and culture houses continue to look into new ways to combine and develop cultures in order to create unique flavors and desirable properties in cheeses.• Focusing on flavor

Two main types of cultures are acid-producing or “starter” cultures, and flavor-producing cultures. Flavor cultures historically developed naturally in cheese as advantageous flora that grew as a result of the aging process in different environments.

“That is why cheese will not be the same throughout the world,” Reddy says. “Cheese in Wisconsin is different from cheese in New York because advantageous flora differs from place to place.”

Cheesemakers also can use specific types and blends of cultures to develop a signature flavor that differentiates their cheese from oth-ers in the same category. This focus on cultures that produce specific flavors and qualities has grown as consumers now seek flavors beyond just the basic cheese types.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted 64-35 to approve the 2012 Farm Bill, bringing the measure one step closer to enactment.

“This farm bill represents the greatest reform in agri-culture in decades,” says Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chair of the Senate Agricul-ture Committee. “Bipartisan compromise is all-too-rare in Washington, so it is hearten-ing to earn support from both sides on a major bill that cuts spending and helps create jobs. It’s good to know that when you bring people together, Congress can still get something done.”

The Senate voted to cut more than $23 billion from the farm bill budget over the next

Senate passes 2012 Farm Bill; focus now shifts to U.S. House

10 years, including $6.4 billion from conservation programs.

A number of amendments were voted on prior to the final bill coming to a vote in the Senate.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) notes that two of the agreed-upon amendments relate directly to dairy policy, and both passed in voting this week.

The first was an amendment offered by U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. As originally filed, this amendment would have directed USDA to elimi-nate the use of end-product price formulas for Class III milk use only in federal orders. The amendment was changed to only require USDA to study the elimination of end-product price formulas, IDFA says.

The other dairy amendment was offered by Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa. It provides the secretary of agriculture the au-thority to request more frequent price reporting and to move to a two-class federal order system.

Jerry Kozak, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), says the dairy title in the legislation contains a better safety net for farmers in the form of the Dairy Production Margin Protection

Program, which offers farm-ers a basic level of coverage against low margins as well as a supplemental insurance plan offering higher levels of protec-tion jointly funded by the govern-ment and participating farmers.

Farmers choosing to enroll in the margin protection pro-gram also will be subject to a Dairy Market Stabilization Program that addresses the imbalance between supply and demand when farm-level margins are lower, Kozak says.

The stabilization program is a source of contention in the dairy industry, with groups including IDFA opposed to its inclusion in the farm bill. (See “Senate votes to bring 2012 Farm Bill to floor for debate” in the June 9, 2012, issue of Cheese Market News.)

Kozak notes that “although it was necessary to work to defeat several unacceptable amend-ments, the fundamental package of dairy policy reforms supported by NMPF remained unchanged throughout the Senate debate.”

Two amendments of con-cern to the dairy industry were not included in the bill passed Thursday. One was an amend-ment introduced by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have allowed the direct sale of raw

milk and raw milk products across state lines, which IDFA and the National Milk Produc-ers Federation (NMPF) op-pose. (See “Industry weighs in on farm bill amendments, supply control” in last week’s issue of Cheese Market News.)

The other amendment not included and opposed by indus-try groups such as NMPF, the National Farmers Union (NFU), United Dairymen of Arizona, the American Farm Bureau Federation and others was submitted by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and would have made federal research and promotion checkoff programs voluntary.

The focus now turns to the U.S. House, which is expected to begin marking up its own ver-sion of the farm bill on July 11.

“Although there will be dif-ferences between the Senate approach and our own, I hope my colleagues are encouraged by this success when we meet on the 11th to consider our own legislation,” says Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., chair of the House Agriculture Commit-tee. “The House Agriculture Committee will consider a balanced proposal that saves taxpayers billions of dollars ... and preserves the tools neces-sary for food production.” CMN

Wis. State Fair contest draws nearly 300 entries

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)�WDE Championship Dairy Product Contest. For details, see supplement.

)�Guest columnist: Traceability: ‘The new ante’ in global business. For details, see page 6.

)�WMMB directors review results of 2012 promotions. For details, see page 13.

)�Valley Ford Cheese, Barinaga Ranch take top awards at Calif. State Fair. For details, see page 14.

INSIDE

Turn to NASS, page 19 D

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — The 2012 Wisconsin State Fair Cheese & Butter Contest was held Thursday at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The contest drew nearly 300 entries from dairy manufacturers throughout the state and featured 26 classes, includ-ing four new classes — Aged Cheddar, Smoked Cheese, Flavored Goat Cheese and Latin American Cheese.

Turn to RESULTS, page 8 DTurn to CULTURES, page 10 D

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Reprinted with permission from the June 22, 2012, edition of CHEESE MARKET NEWS® © Copyright 2012 Quarne Publishing LLC; PH: (509) 962-4026; www.cheesemarketnews.com Reprinted with permission from the June 22, 2012, edition of CHEESE MARKET NEWS® © Copyright 2012 Quarne Publishing LLC; PH: (509) 962-4026; www.cheesemarketnews.comReprinted with permission from the June 22, 2012, edition of CHEESE MARKET NEWS® © Copyright 2012 Quarne Publishing LLC; PH: (509) 962-4026; www.cheesemarketnews.com

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Susan Quarne, 3XEOLVKHU (PH 608/831-6002; FAX 608/831-1004)��e-mail: [email protected] Kate Sander, (GLWRULDO�'LUHFWRU (PH 509/962-4026; FAX 509/962-4027)��e-mail: [email protected] Sowerwine, 6HQLRU�(GLWRU (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093)�� e-mail: [email protected] Archwamety, 1HZV�:HE�(GLWRU (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093)�� e-mail: [email protected] Aaron Martin, 1HZV�(GLWRU (PH 608/288-9090; FAX 608/288-9093)�� e-mail: [email protected]

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORSJohn Umhoefer, Downes-O'Neill LLC, International Dairy Foods Association, National Milk Producers Federation

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NEWS/BUSINESS

WASHINGTON — The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) an-nounced it is encouraged by clarifica-tion made by the European Commission (EC) in a recent statement that the terms “Mozzarella,” “Brie,” “Gouda,” “Edam” and “Cheddar” are indeed generic, and their use is not limited solely to certain European producers, an outcome that other widely-used cheese names such as Feta and Parmesan have faced in the European Union (EU).

CCFN says the clarity is a welcome development for producers of these products around the world.

However, that clarification is just the tip of the iceberg on what CCFN

Consortium for Common Food Names welcomes Europe’s clarification on cheese termsbelieves is needed from the EC, the organization notes.

CCFN says it hopes that the EC will extend that assessment to other generic names as well, such as “Havarti”, “Parme-san,” “prosciutto,” “Provolone,” “salami” and to commonly-used adjectives such as “fine” and “vintage” on wine labels.

“One of the problems with the EC system is its arbitrariness,” says Jaime Castaneda, executive director, CCFN. “Unless the system explicitly designates a term as generic, we have to assume the scope of protection is extremely broad.

“It is time to develop a clear and reasonable scope of protection for geo-graphical indications (GIs), something

we believe the CCFN, the EU and others can all work on together,” he adds. “Our goal is to work with leaders worldwide in agriculture, trade and intellectual property rights, and to foster adoption of high-standard and model geographical in-dication guidelines throughout the world.”

CCFN says it agrees with the EC that there is a place for protection of distinctive foods from distinct regions, such as Napa Valley wines or Camembert de Normandie cheese from France. One aspect of a logi-cal model for GIs is that they include the name of the region or sub-region where the product is produced, CCFN says.

Castaneda says the EC has pushed the bounds of geographical indication

protections to unreasonable levels. For example, because of the EC’s aggres-sive efforts in its free trade agreement with Korea, world suppliers, including those from developing countries, will no longer be able to sell “Asiago,” “Feta,” “Fontina” or “Gorgonzola” in Korea, at least not under those names.

“No one country or entity should own common food names,” says Errico Auric-chio, CCFN chairman and president of BelGioioso Cheese. “If such efforts are successful, consumers will no longer recognize many of their favorite foods. Producers around the world will be forced to consider relabeling poten-tially billions of dollars’ worth of food products.”

The EC is also working with a number of countries around the world to strongly encourage development of geographi-cal indication systems or outcomes on particular product names that align with EU views. These countries include Canada, China, and Japan, as well as many throughout Latin America and Asia, CCFN says, noting that in a “particularly alarming” development, the EU also is processing applications to provide geo-graphical indication protection to two cheese names common in large parts of the world (Danbo and Havarti) that have long had standards that were developed by the Codex Alimentarius, one of the leading international standards-setting bodies.

“Italian, Swiss and Danish immigrants brought to our land their knowledge, tradi-tions and names of food products,” says Miguel Paulón, president of the Argentine Dairy Industry Federation, which supports CCFN’s efforts. “Many of the cheese names we use have become protected geographi-cal indications in Europe, despite the fact that these names were established here for more than a century as generic names, or have become part of trademarks that identify local producers. Moreover, several of those terms were also adopted many years ago by the international food standards Codex program.” CMN

House committee passes 2013 ag billWASHINGTON — The House Ap-propriations Committee this week approved a fiscal year 2013 agriculture appropriations bill. The bill includes $19.4 billion in discretionary funding, a cut of $365 million below last year’s level and a cut of $1.7 billion below the president’s budget request.

The move follows a markup of the bill by the House Appropriations Com-mittee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies earlier this month. (For bill funding highlights, see “National Farmers Union expresses disappoint-ment following House markup of 2013 ag bill” in the June 8, 2012, issue of Cheese Market News.)

The bill now moves to the full House for consideration, with action expected as early as next week. CMN

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WASHINGTON — This week the United States and eight other countries nego-tiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement extended invita-tions to Canada and Mexico to join the TPP negotiations, pending successful conclusion of domestic procedures. In addition to the United States, the cur-rent TPP countries are Australia, Bru-nei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

The next steps for Canada and Mexico include a notification by the Obama administration to Congress of its intent to include these countries in TPP negotiations. The notification will trigger a 90-day consultation period with Congress on U.S. negotiating objectives with the countries, and a notice seeking public comments will be published in the Federal Register.

The American Farm Bureau Federa-tion (AFBF) says as a major U.S. trading partner, Mexico will bolster the reach of the TPP negotiations for U.S. agriculture.

“As the U.S.’s third-largest agricul-tural export market, with more than $17 billion in sales in 2011, Mexico is crucial to U.S. agriculture,” says Bob Stallman, president, AFBF. “Both our nations will benefit by having Mexico as a TPP partner and sharing in improved sanitary and phytosanitary standards for agriculture trade and expanded market access with TPP nations.”

The National Milk Producers Federa-tion (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) say they strongly support Canada’s participation in the TPP negotiations as the third member

Canada, Mexico invited to TPP negotiationsof the North America Free Trade Agree-ment (NAFTA). They add that whereas Mexico and the United States already have removed all dairy trade barriers between them, this is not the case with trade between Canada and the United States, and the TPP must remedy that.

“The United States and Canada have had a free trade agreement since 1988, but it did not include dairy products. It is time for this oversight to be changed, and we welcome this opportunity to finally make that happen,” says Jerry Kozak, president and CEO, NMPF.

Tom Suber, president of USDEC, says the dairy industry “will absolutely not support any agreement that does not address full market access for U.S. dairy products in the Canadian market.”

The International Dairy Foods Asso-ciation (IDFA) also applauded member countries of the TPP for inviting Mexico and Canada, the two largest U.S. dairy export destinations, to join in the cur-rent TPP talks, but says it remains ada-mant that Canada must reform its milk supply management system if the TPP is to maintain the goal of a high-standard and comprehensive agreement.

“IDFA strongly supports Canada’s entry into the TPP because it will grant an opportunity to open trade in its restricted dairy sector, which has mostly been excluded under NAFTA,” says John Kelly, IDFA manager of International affairs. “By contrast Mexico has been an excellent trad-ing partner to the U.S. dairy industry; it fully opened its dairy market to U.S. exports under NAFTA.” CMN

GREENWOOD, Wis. — Grassland Dairy Products Inc. on Thursday announced it is doubling its milk plant capacity. Grassland currently processes more than 4.8 million pounds of milk per day to produce more than 280,000 pounds of butter daily. With the added capacity, the plant now will be able to run 8 million pounds of milk through the plant using three continuous churns, each produc-ing 50,000 pounds of butter per hour.

“We have a 12-bay intake and can unload 12 trucks of milk at one time, and each truck contains about 50,000 pounds of milk,” says Trevor Wuethrich, vice president, Grassland. “Once that milk is churned into butter and placed in its proper packaging, it is stored in

Grassland doubles its production capacityour 60,000-square-foot cold warehouse and ready for semi-trucks to take it all over the country.”

In addition to the increased milk and cream processing capabilities to produce butter and dairy products, Grassland recently installed two state-of-the-art milk driers, allowing the plant to dry 28,000 pounds of powder per hour or 4.7 million pounds weekly. Plans are also being created to install a lactose dryer to make a high-quality edible powder for the food industry. The new lactose dryer would create 25 new jobs.

Grassland packages 100 differ-ent butter brands, including Grass-land, Fall Creek, Golden Goodness and Country Cream. CMN

ARLINGTON, Va. — Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell a total of 775 metric tons (1.71 million pounds) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack to customers in Asia, South America, the Middle East, North Africa and South Pacific. The product will be delivered June through November 2012.

CWT accepts 11 requests to assist exportsIn 2012, CWT has assisted member

cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 61.7 million pounds and butter and anhydrous milkfat totaling 45.2 million pounds to 32 countries on four continents.

CWT pays export bonuses to the bidders when delivery of the prod-uct is verified by the submission of the required documentation. CMN

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Perspective:Market Insight

What drives markets?Markets represent the collective

view of current price and where it will head into the future. The fundamentals of supply and demand underpin all mar-kets. Surplus markets tend to depress prices while deficits push prices up-ward. Understanding the fundamentals of dairy markets, to create an outlook for managing your business, requires looking at the factors that influence supply and demand including policy, economics, stocks and weather. Thus

far in 2012 dairy markets have been moved by the aforementioned items; these same items will affect the back half of the year, quite possibly in dif-ferent ways.

So far 2012 has been a remark-able year in terms of both supply and demand. Most dairying regions in the world had some of the largest herd in years and ideal weather conditions which resulted in higher output. The growth in milk production in the first

quarter of 2012 was staggering with the U.S., EU-27 and Oceania producing a combined 4.4 percent more than last year. While demand has been strong in 2012, so much milk coming into the system in such a short amount of time could not easily be consumed, resulting in downward pressure on dairy product prices, and correspondingly milk prices, throughout the world. Similarly more milk meant there were more dairy products manufactured at the start of 2012. Based on historical USDA Dairy Products Reports, the first 4 months of the year resulted in more cheese, butter, nonfat dry milk (NDM) and combined whey products produced vs. comparable time periods in the past decade.

Although demand for U.S. dairy products was strong in the first quar-ter of the year, supply overwhelmed the system driving up stocks — with cheese and whey powder as notable exceptions. According to the USDA, as of April 2012, the U.S. is holding less total cheese and whey powder than one year ago, down 1.5 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively. Considering the U.S. produced 2.8 percent more cheese in the first 4 months of the year than in 2011, but had fewer inventories at the end of April 2012 vs. the prior year, suggests demand outpaced supply. This

may help explain how, in the midst of what still appears to be a good amount of milk, block cheese prices reached $1.70 per pound in June 2012 and Class III futures markets climbed and have held near $17 per hundredweight in the back half of the year. By comparison, butter and NDM prices have not fared as well. While there has been good demand for both butter and NDM, stocks continued to expand in the first half of 2012.

Where do markets go from here? There are several fundamentals to watch as summer approaches. Milk supply throughout the world will be important as further contraction, based on current demand, could result in much stronger prices; at the same time, resuming expansion too quickly could once again put downward pressure on milk prices especially here in the U.S. What will influence milk supply? There are a few basic items — feed prices and quality, weather and U.S. milk prices. Hot, dry weather in dairy or feed producing states could reduce milk supply in the summer by lowering output. This would tend to stabilize or push prices higher. On the contrary, while milk growth in the U.S. has slowed, higher milk prices may once again spur supply growth.

G U E S T C O L U M N I S T C M N E x c l u s i v e !

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Perspective:Industry Issues

Traceability: ‘The new ante’ in global dairy business

If you know me, you know I’m pas-sionate about food quality and safety. Traceability is a big part of that; being able to track where your product is at all times means that, if necessary, you could remove a suspect lot with surgical precision, protecting both your com-pany’s reputation and its bottom line.

That’s why Darigold volunteered to participate in a pilot traceability study coordinated by the checkoff-funded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. The goal of the pilot is to create a set of enhanced traceability best practices that the industry as a whole can adopt

on a voluntary basis. And since these are likely going to be the kinds of practices our customers already require, now’s the time for the industry to improve its traceability systems.

What’s more, improved best practic-es will serve as a template for a new FDA program, as the agency recently was charged with recommending enhanced traceability regulations throughout the food chain via the Food Safety Modern-ization Act (FSMA). FSMA mandates that FDA require comprehensive, prevention-based controls across the food supply; specifically, the FDA will be

charged with ensuring that companies enhance the traceability of their prod-ucts and recordkeeping. As an industry, we have a short window of opportunity to institute enhanced traceability prac-tices and demonstrate to FDA that we can develop and adopt them on our own. If we can gain widespread industry adop-tion of a voluntary program, we have a good shot at convincing FDA to use our program for whatever dairy-related regulations may come to pass.

Of course, let’s not assume we’re doing this simply to conform to FSMA. The fact is that greater traceability is now a requirement for doing business — particularly when it comes to dairy ingredients, as they’re often produced before their destination is decided. Buyers acknowledge that enhanced traceability practices are “the new ante,” or table stakes, in the global dairy business. Our competitors in the international market are ahead of us on this; in fact, they’ve already got sophisticated, accurate programs in place and they’re not afraid to capital-ize on their competitive advantage. We need to make enhanced traceability part of our value proposition in the United States, as well, or risk being left behind.

Make no mistake about it: If an American dairy product is suspected of being (or found to be) contaminated, the reputation of that company — and the industry as a whole — can be irreversibly damaged, particularly if

members of the public perceive that we did not do enough to minimize their potential exposure to the contaminated product. I like to remind colleagues that committing to enhanced traceability is a lot like buying insurance: You may not need it today, but you’ll want it in cases of suspected contamination.

Darigold is joined in the pilot by other processors representing the full spectrum of the industry. We are eager to participate in the pilot and to work hard to ensure recommenda-tions for enhanced traceability are cost-effective and help the industry retain customers, strengthen its com-petitiveness and increase sales. Next, in the fall of this year, the Innovation Center expects to make public the results of the pilot study. From there, we will begin to encourage industry adoption of an enhanced and voluntary traceability program.

The United States’ record for food safety is unmatched in the world, an ac-complishment we often take for granted. But, in fact, we got here by paying close attention to the details. With this new traceability program, we will protect the integrity of the supply chain, establish an internal and external competitive strength and let the world know we meet or exceed global expectations. CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

G U E S T C O L U M N I S T C M N E x c l u s i v e !

Turn to DORLAND, page 7 D



DORLANDContinued from page 6

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NEWS/BUSINESS

O P I N I O N S

O P I N I O N S

Markets will be biased, for longer periods of time, by demand. In part, price, economics and consumer spending influ-ences demand for U.S. dairy products. Growing concerns over the performance of major world economies will ultimately sway consumers and how they spend. The euro zone continues to be troublesome for markets. Any spillover effects and impact on Asian economies could distress U.S. dairy markets by slowing exports. The U.S. economy is still inching out GDP growth. Signs of slowdown in the economy could be unfavorable for dairy prices. An offset for consumers, relatively lower oil and fuel costs allowing for savings or spend-ing in other categories.

Each of these fundamental factors

will affect markets for the remainder of 2012 to varying degrees. The key to understanding direction of dairy prices later this year will be keeping a watch-ful eye on changes in supply, demand, weather and economies. Markets do not like uncertainty. Currently anxiety and uncertainty are prevalent in sev-eral markets which lead to increased volatility. Most of the items that will sway price are not controlled by farms or plants — they are in the hands of consumers, governments and nature. Having a better understanding of what impacts markets is a first step towards margin management, risk mitigation and ultimately hitting targets. CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

SUGARCREEK, Ohio — The Ohio Swiss Cheese Association recently an-nounced the winners of the National Dairy Month Contest, the first of three cheese contests that will be held in Ohio this year to determine who the association names Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers for 2012.

This year, winners were announced and awarded for three classifications: Swiss Class, Farmstead Class (cheeses manufactured on an Ohio-licensed

Entry from Guggisberg Cheese Co. named top Swiss at Ohio National Dairy Month Contest farmstead facility) and Open Class (various cheeses that do not fall in the Swiss or Farmstead category).

In the Swiss Class, Guggisberg Cheese Co., Millersburg, Ohio, won gold (first prize); Pearl Valley Cheese Co., Fresno, Ohio, won silver (second prize) and E.S. Steiner Dairy LLC, Baltic, Ohio, won bronze (third prize).

In the Farmstead Class, Mayfield Road Creamery, Orwell, Ohio, swept all three medals: gold for its Double Aged Raw Milk Gouda, silver for its Brie and

bronze for its Tomme with natural rind with beer wash.

In the Open Class, Pearl Valley Cheese Co. won gold for its Pepper Jack; Bunker Hill Cheese, Millersburg, Ohio,

won silver for its Colby; and Pearl Valley Cheese won bronze for its Colby.

The Ohio State Fair contest, the second of the three contests, will be held July 10. CMN

WINNING SWISS — Stanley Mullet (left) of E.S. Steiner Dairy won bronze, Diane Mellor (center) of Guggisberg Cheese won gold and Chuch Ellis (right) of Pearl Valley Cheese won silver in the Swiss Class for their entries in the Ohio Swiss Cheese Association’s National Dairy Month Contest.

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The 2012 Grand Master Cheesemaker will be named and all the winning cheese-makers will be recognized during the Blue Ribbon Cheese & Butter Auction Aug. 10 at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The blue-ribbon entries will be sold at the auction, which is a fundraiser for the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board. Auc-tion proceeds will fund scholarships for students pursuing dairy-related degrees and support the House of Moo dairy educa-tion center and milking demonstrations at the Wisconsin State Fair.

The top three entries in each class are as follows:• Mild Cheddar

First: Dan Stearns, Agropur, Weyau-wega, Wis., Cheddar, 99.35.

Second: Jeff Berg, Land O’Lakes, Kiel, Wis., Cheddar, 99.05.

Third: Dale Schmidt, Land O’Lakes, Kiel, Wis., Cheddar, 99.00.• Aged Cheddar

First: Roger Larson, Maple Leaf Cheese, Monroe, Wis., English Hollow Cheddar, 99.30.

Second: Dale Schmidt, Land O’Lakes, Kiel, Wis., Aged Cheddar, 99.20.

Third: Jeff Berg, Land O’Lakes, Kiel,

NEWS/BUSINESS

RESULTSContinued from page 1

Wis., Aged Cheddar, 99.05.• Colby, Monterey Jack

First: Ryan Sturdevant, Meister Cheese Co., Muscoda, Wis., Colby Jack Longhorn, 99.75.

Second: Ryan Sturdevant, Meister Cheese Co., Muscoda, Wis., Colby Longhorn, 99.60.

Third: Team Black Creek, DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., Black Creek Monterey Jack, 99.35.• Swiss Styles

First: Team Emmi Roth, Emmi Roth USA, Monroe, Wis., Petite Swiss, 97.05.

Second: Jamie Fahrney, Chalet Cheese Co-op, Monroe, Wis., Baby Swiss, 95.65.

Third: Mike Nelson, Chalet Cheese Co-op, Monroe, Wis., Baby Swiss Block, 95.30.• Brick, Muenster

First: John (Randy) Pitman, Mill Creek Cheese, Arena, Wis., Muenster, 99.50.

Second: Chad Duhai, Zimmerman Cheese, South Wayne, Wis., Brick, 99.40.

Third: Jon Jay Lewis, Valley View Cheese, South Wayne, Wis., Muenster, 99.0. • Mozzarella

First: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Low-Moisture, Part-Skim Mozzarella, 99.70.

Second: Matt Schlender, BelGioioso Cheese, Green Bay, Wis., Fresh Moz-zarella, 99.65.

Third: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Low-Moisture Moz-zarella, Whole Milk, 99.60. • String Cheese

First: Steven Tollers, Burnett Dairy Co-op, Grantsburg, Wis., String Cheese, 99.65.

Second: George Crave, Crave Broth-ers Farmstead Cheese, Waterloo, Wis., Farmers Rope, 99.30.• Blue Veined Cheese

First: Nelson Schrock, Salemville Cheese Co-op, Cambria, Wis., Reserve Blue, 99.45.

Second: Gary Humboldt, DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., Gorgonzola, 99.35.

Third: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., Glacier Blue, 98.80. • Feta

First: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Feta, 99.15.

Second: Adam Buholzer, Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe, Wis., Feta in Brine, 98.95.

Third: Steve Webster, Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe, Wis., Feta in Brine, 98.75. • Flavored Pepper Cheese

First: Steven Tollers, Burnett Dairy Co-op, Grantsburg, Wis., String Cheese with Jalapeño & Habanero Peppers, 99.70.

Second: Steve Stettler, Decatur Dairy, Brodhead, Wis., Pepper Havarti, 99.45.

Third: Mary Rollins, Lynn Dairy, Granton, Wis., Monterey Jack with Jalapeño Peppers, 99.25. • Flavored Soft Cheese

First: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Feta with Basil & Tomato, 99.75.

Second: Jim Demeter, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Feta with Basil & Tomato, 99.50.

Third: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Weyauwega, Wis., Feta with Pepper-corn, 99.45. • Flavored Semi-Soft Cheese

First: Ben Milquet, BelGioioso Cheese, Green Bay, Wis., Fresh Mozzarella with Prosciutto & Fresh Basil, 99.55.

Second: Marieke Penterman, Hol-land’s Family Cheese, Thorp, Wis., Marieke Gouda Foenegreek, 99.05.

Third: Chris Seidl, BelGioioso Cheese, Green Bay, Wis., Fresh Mozza-rella with Olive Oil & Fresh Basil, 98.95. • Smoked Flavored Cheese

First: Nelson Schrock, Salemville Cheese Co-op, Cambria, Wis., Smoke-haus Blue, 99.70.

Second: Ryan Scray, Scray Cheese, DePere, Wis., Smoked Gouda Wheel, 99.65.

Third: Dennis Schliem, Zimmerman Cheese, South Wayne, Wis., Smoked Brick, 99.55.• Flavored Hard Cheese

First: Mike Matucheski, Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis., Cannella BellaVitano, 98.40.

Second: Mike Matucheski, Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis., Mediterranean Fontina, 98.15.

Third: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., Virgin Pine Native Blue, 98.00. • Smear Ripened Cheese

First: Nathan Leopold, Chalet

Cheese Co-op, Monroe, Wis., Limburger, 98.60.

Second: Team Emmi Roth, Emmi Roth USA, Monroe, Wis., Grand Cru Surchoix, 98.30.

Third: Myron Olson, DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., Liederkranz, 98.05. • Cold Pack Cheese, Cheese Food

First: Phil Lindemann, Pine River Pre-Pack, Newton, Wis., Aged Asiago Cold Pack, 99.45.

Second: Phil Lindemann, Pine River Pre-Pack, Newton, Wis., Extra Sharp Cheddar Cold Pack, 99.35.

Third: Harold Patzke, Pine River Pre-Pack, Newton, Wis., Swiss and Almond Cold Pack, 98.90. • Pasteurized Process Cheese, Cheese Food, Cheese Spread

First: John Breene, Dairy Farmers of America, Plymouth, Wis., American Pasteurized Process Cheese, 98.85.

Second: Nick Voss, Associated Milk Producers Inc., Portage, Wis., Pasteur-ized Process Cheese Food with Jalapeño Peppers, 98.60.

Third: Roger Davis, Associated Milk Producers Inc., Portage, Wis., American Swiss Pasteurized Process Cheese, 98.50. • Reduced Fat or Lite Cheese

First: Steve Webster, Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe, Wis., Reduced Fat Feta, 99.25.

Second: Mike DeVoy, Lactalis USA, Merrill, Wis., Garlic & Herbs Light Gourmet Spread, 99.15.

Third: Shawn Schult, Lactalis USA, Merrill, Wis., Spinach & Garlic Reduced Fat Spread, 98.80. • Open Class — Soft and Spreadable Cheese

First: Linda Saurer, BelGioioso Cheese, Green Bay, Wis., Burrata, 99.75.

Second: George Crave, Crave Broth-ers Farmstead Cheese, Waterloo, Wis., Mascarpone, 99.70.

Third: Courtney Schreiner, Lactalis USA, Merrill, Wis., Garlic & Herbs Gourmet Spread, 99.30. • Open Class — Semi-Soft Cheese

First: Matt Henze, Decatur Dairy, Brodhead, Wis., Havarti, 99.75.

Second: Marieke Penterman, Hol-land’s Family Cheese, Thorp, Wis., Marieke Gouda Aged, 99.70.

Third: Marieke Penterman, Hol-land’s Family Cheese, Thorp, Wis, Marieke Gouda Plain Belegen, 99.30. • Open Class — Hard Cheese

First: Team Almena, DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., Aged Asiago, 98.70.

Second: Brett Krattiger, Maple Leaf Cheese, Monroe, Wis., Traditional Gouda, 98.55.

Third: Aaron Quick, Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis., Extra Aged Fontina, 98.50. • Flavored Goat Milk Cheese

F i r s t : D o u g l a s Wa e c h t e r, Montchevre-Betin, Belmont, Wis., Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese, 99.25.

Second: Douglas Waechter, Montchevre-Betin, Belmont, Wis., Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese, 99.10.

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NEWS/BUSINESSJune 22, 2012 — CHEESE MARKET NEWS® 9

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Third: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., River Bend Goat Cheese, 98.65.• Natural Goat Milk Cheese

First: Dave Small, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., Bandaged Billy, 99.35.

Second: Martin Chavez, Montchevre-Betin, Belmont, Wis., Mini Cabrie, 99.20.

Third: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., Chevre au Lait, 98.40.• Latin American Cheese

First: Brian Mundt, Mexican Cheese Producers, Darlington, Wis., Queso Fresco Wheel, 99.30.

Second: John (Randy) Pitman, Mill

WINNERSContinued from page 8

Creek Cheese, Arena, Wis., Quesadilla, 98.95.

Third: Brian Mundt, Mexican Cheese Producers, Darlington, Wis., Queso Fresco Natural Wheel, 98.75. • Sheep & Mixed Milk Cheese

First: Mike Matucheski, Sartori Co., Plymouth, Wis., Pastorale Blend, 98.20.

Second: Tony Ellis, BelGioioso Cheese, Green Bay, Wis., Crumbly Gorgonzola with Sheep’s Milk, 97.35.

Third: Bob Koenig, Carr Valley Cheese, LaValle, Wis., Bessie’s Blend, 97.30. • Butter

First: Team Graf, Graf Creamery, Bonduel, Wis., Salted Butter, 98.30.

Second: Don Koenig, Foremost Farms USA, Reedsburg, Wis., Salted Butter, 97.85

Third: Team Graf, Graf Creamery, Bon-duel, Wis., Unsalted Butter, 97.80. CMN

FDA releases final strategic plan for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Program for 2012-16WASHINGTON — FDA recently an-nounced the release of the final stra-tegic plan for the Foods and Veterinary Medicine Program (FVM) for 2012-2016.

Program Goal 1 is to establish science-based preventive control standards across the farm-to-table continuum. More specifically, between 2012 and 2016, the FVM program will focus its efforts on comprehensive pre-vention by introducing a series of new safety standards and practices aimed at preventing all foods and feed from becoming contaminated, FDA says.

Science-based preventive control standards will apply broadly and consist of a combination of regulations, guid-ance, model codes and consumer advice to address multiple points of the food supply chain.

The FVM program will work with a variety of partners, such as trade associ-ations and other government agencies, to ensure that targeted, sector-specific guidance is regularly provided to the industry, FDA says.

In collaboration with appropriate federal and state organizations, the FVM program will analyze, measure and report on the food industry’s compli-ance with specific preventive control

standards and their effectiveness in improving food safety.

Findings from these studies will inform efforts to improve industry compliance as well as identify needs for future preventive control standards, FDA says.

Program Goal 2 is to achieve high rates of compliance with preventive control standards, both domestically and internationally. The FVM program can no longer rely on simply tracking its activities and outputs as the means for measuring success; it must transition to tracking the impact its activities have on the pubic health, FDA says.

Objectives for achieving this goal include improving FVM program in-telligence on industry and the supply chain; conducting domestic inspections to verify compliance with standards; improving assurance that imported foods and feeds meet preventive control standards; effectively implementing new and existing enforcement tools; and improving collaboration among partners on inspection and compliance efforts.

Program Goal 3 is to strengthen scientific leadership, capacity and partnership to support public health

and animal health decision-making.Objectives under this goal include

establishing and implementing cen-tralized planning and performance measurement processes; improving information sharing internally and ex-ternally; maintaining and strengthening mission-critical science capabilities; and cultivating expert institutional knowledge, FDA says.

Program Goal 4 is to provide accurate and useful information so consumers can choose a healthier diet and reduce the risk of chronic disease and obesity.

Among the objectives under this goal is to update the Nutrition Facts label, including potentially giving greater prominence to calorie declarations, FDA says.

Other objectives include implement-ing menu and vending machine labeling regulations and improving consumer ac-cess to and use of nutrition information, including by exploring front-of-pack nutrition labeling opportunities.

Program Goal 5 is to encourage food product reformulation and safe produc-tion of dietary supplements.

Among the objectives under this goal is to reduce the sodium content in the food supply, FDA says.

“The FVM program is committed to encouraging the food industry to reduce the amount of sodium included in pack-aged foods and served in restaurants,” the agency says. “In order to inform decisions about how to reduce sodium content, the FVM program will research and analyze relevant considerations, including the role of sodium in taste, safety and other attributes of food products, as well as consumer behavior.”

Program Goal 6 is the improve the detection of and response to foodborne outbreaks and contamination.

Objectives under this goal include improving response to foodborne out-breaks and contamination incidents; investigating and adopting innovative technologies and processes to detect and investigate foodborne outbreaks and contamination events; and enhanc-ing the implementation of the Report-able Food Registry (RFR).

Program Goal 7 is to advance animal drug safety and effectiveness by increas-ing access to safe and effective animal drugs and reduce risk of farm from unsafe use of marketed animal drugs, FDA says.

To v i e w t h e p l a n , v i s -it www.fda.gov. CMN

Arla Foods plans structural changes, job cutsAARHUS, Denmark — Arla Foods re-cently announced structural changes fol-lowing a management assessment that the company must decrease its annual costs by approximately $86 million in order to keep up with international competitors.

“Our turnover is growing, and that growth will continue,” says Peder Tuborgh, CEO, Arla Foods. “We have a responsibility towards all of our coop-erative owners and other dairy farmers, who invest their milk and their money in Arla, to make sure that our turnover grows significantly faster than our cost. Our international competitors are able to turn ideas into action quicker than before and, therefore, Arla needs a more simple and structured way of working.”

Arla will discontinue approximately 250 administrative positions globally be-fore the end of 2012, and approximately 150 administrative positions will be re-structured within the organization. Arla also will reduce its spending on market research and analysis activities, as well as its procurement costs on packaging and other materials.

In addition to these changes, Arla’s management will continue to assess the ongoing opportunities to make the com-pany’s administration more efficient as the company grows. Management also will continue to analyze Arla’s global production set-up to identify the po-tential for similar efficiency measures within the production chain. CMN

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NEWS/BUSINESSCULTURESContinued from page 1

For more information please visit www.adpi.org

2012 Dairy Ingredient SeminarOctober 2 & 3, 2012 ~ Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, CA

Join industry representatives as they discuss current trends & future developments affecting the U.S. and global dairy markets for

cheese, whey proteins, permeate, dry milk and butter products.

NEW TO THE AGENDA: This year’s agenda also includes the end-users perspective!

Representatives from companies including Starbucks and Nestle will

be on-hand to dicuss their views on purchasing ingredients.

2012 Technical SymposiumOptimizing Quality & Expanding Applications

October 23 & 24, 2012 ~ Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, Raleigh, NC

Don't miss presentations by MaryAnne Drake, Allen Foegeding and Dave Barbano highlighting:

!"Critical control points for optimizing flavor in dried ingredients and ingredient applications. Includes hands-on sensory analysis of proteins and beverages

!"The latest updates on whey bleaching, bleaching parameters and bleaching alternatives

!"Expanding protein functional properties. Includes hands-on sensory analysis of applications

!"Membrane fractionation of milk and whey components, MF to UF

Visit www.adpi.org for complete meeting details includingonline registration, agendas and hotel information!

116 N. York St., Suite 200, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Ph: (630) 530-8700 ~ Fax: (630) 530-8707

Email: [email protected] ~ www.adpi.org

!"#$%&'() *'+,-(&.$/#.)'0$12$3456

“Consumers are looking for cheeses that are not just a basic Cheddar made for more low-cost and efficiency, but they are looking for more flavor,” says Roy Riley, marketing director for North America dairy cultures and enzymes, Chr. Hansen.

One fast-growing segment includes the various styles of Swiss cheeses. Chr. Hansen recently released a new range of propionic acid cultures, PS-60, for enhanced flavor and eye development in Swiss-style cheeses. Riley says this line helps cheesemakers better control and optimize the qualities they want in their Swiss varieties.

“Swiss is probably the fastest-growing market we have with specialty cheese,” Riley says. “PS-60 helps provide more flavor than before, create more eyes or less eyes, bigger or smaller eyes.”

Culture companies are working with cheesemakers to develop solutions that balance efficient production with consistent flavor quality.

When the U.S. cheese industry shifted to more mass production and increased focus on sanitation and pasteurization, Reddy says this took precedence over the good bacteria that had created flavor in cheeses. However, now cheesemakers are again looking at ways to maintain this advantageous flora or pull it back into the cheese.

“They want flavor, but they don’t want pathogens. I call it the ‘industrial

paradox,’” Reddy says. “In my lifetime I have seen this thinking, and kept trying to tell them, ‘Go back to the days when we had beautiful types of cheeses, so people enjoy eating these products.’ You need flavor, too, from advantageous flora.”

Culture providers such as IMAC, Chr. Hansen and Cargill work with cheese manufacturers to develop optimized flavors and other qualities in both com-modity and specialty cheeses.

Historically, cheesemakers had to make a choice between speed and flavor in making commodity Cheddar, according to Mark Fahlin, marketing manager-texturizing solutions, Cargill.

“The fastest cheese makes sacrificed flavor and there didn’t seem to be a flavor-rich Cheddar solution that didn’t

require a longer make time,” Fahlin says. “In response to this market need, Cargill has launched ProTech Plus — a cost effective 10-rotation culture solu-tion offering both fast Cheddar makes with superior flavor development.”

David Burrington, senior sales manager at Chr. Hansen, says their customers look for the reproducibility of flavor and more “true” flavor than just more cheese flavor.

“Flavor is an important component of anything that uses cheese, whether it’s table cheese for retail, or cheese for foodservice and food processing,” Burrington says. “Enhancing the flavor of the profile, in Cheddar, Swiss or other cheeses, is a key value attribute both consumers and our customers look for.”• Adjunct cultures

Makers of Cheddar and other chees-es increasingly are looking not just to enhance but also to differentiate their flavors. Adjunct cultures can be added to standard cheesemaking cultures specifically to contribute a certain flavor profile. Adjuncts also help accelerate aging and normal flavor development, reducing the time the cheese has to be held in storage. One line of adjunct cultures is Chr. Hansen’s CR-500 series that is used to create different flavor profiles in Cheddar and other cheeses.

“We see our customers more and more looking for their own signature flavor for their aged Cheddar,” Riley says. “Clearly in the market there is an Eastern Cheddar flavor profile and a Midwest Cheddar profile. With some flavor profiles, manufacturers prefer more sulfury, or some more of a sweet, nutty note. Some are more looking for a savory note, a meaty, brothy note.”

He says that Chr. Hansen continually is improving and adding new cultures to its CR-500 series, which was launched within the last 5-8 years. Most adjuncts on the market today are based on the Lactobacillus helveticus profile, which is sweet and nutty, but other profiles are coming on board as well, he adds.

“Lactobacillus paracasei produces a profile that’s a little more along a typi-cal Cheddar profile,” Riley says. “There are other adjuncts that are soon to be launched that will further enhance the savory note. I think more manufacturers are heading in that direction.”

Burrington says adjuncts typically are used in specialty or aged varieties of cheeses where a specific profile is needed rather than in bulk-produced cheese.

“Those cheesemakers looking for a certain flavor profile are choosing adjunct cultures,” he says. “These are added to the primary culture to produce specific characteristics. The adjunct is there to deliver the flavor profile the customer is looking for in the end product.”

Mark Johnson, assistant director of the senior management team and senior scientist at the Wisconsin Cen-ter for Dairy Research, says the use of adjuncts for flavor development is a

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FLAVORContinued from page 10

For more information please visit www.chr-hansen.com

growing trend. Many cheesemakers who produce

Gouda use a Lactobacillus adjunct to produce a sweeter, nuttier flavor, Johnson says. Cougar Gold, the flagship canned cheese made by the Washington State University (WSU) Creamery, is one well-known cheese that uses an adjunct culture to help produce its trademark flavor.

Cheesemakers have been using adjuncts for decades to help get rid of bitterness that might form in cheese, he says. But as these cultures have de-veloped, so have different flavors, and adjuncts now are being more widely used to create unique profiles.

“Enhancing the flavor of the profile,

in Cheddar, Swiss or other cheeses, is a key

value attribute both consumers and our

customers look for.”

David BurringtonCHR. HANSEN

“Applications in the U.S. for adjunct bacteria have been around about three decades,” he says. “Now people are trying them in cheeses they have never tried them in before, producing different flavors from regular cheese without the adjunct. They are sweeter, nuttier, or have fruity notes that may be desirable and distinguish my cheese from your cheese.”

Johnson says researchers are start-ing to look into the genetic properties of cheeses, such as what enzymes are turned on and compounds are being formed, to find new ways to work with adjuncts.

“By studying genetics, they might find a better adjunct to use in low sodium or lowfat cheese,” he says. • Working with nature

Dairy Connection Inc. distributes cultures mainly from Danisco as well as from Chr. Hansen and Cargill and works with small-scale cheese manufacturers that the large companies can’t always service as efficiently.

Dave Potter, vice president and tech-nical manager of Dairy Connection Inc., says the smaller cheesemakers tend to have more time to wait for flavor cul-tures to develop, looking at bringing out flavors from nature rather than adding cultures for specific profiles.

“From our standpoint, customers focus a lot on flavor. A lot of times they use different types of milk, sheep, goat

and cow milk combinations, and a lot could be raw,” Potter says. “They’re looking at cultures that are going to complement the milk supply.”

Often his customers are looking for cultures that will help control acidifica-tion rates and bring out “feed flavors” — natural flavors from the grass and forages that the milk-producing animals have eaten. While larger processors that use a standardized milk supply tend to seek faster acid-producing cultures, Potter says the smaller cheesemakers tend to go for cultures with slower acidification rates that deliver more enzymes for the ripening process and flavor development.

“Larger companies can do it in a different way and add adjunct cultures,

while smaller processors depend on the milk supply,” he says. “We tend to have more of the raw milk cheese customers than some of the larger culture houses would. I don’t see as big demand for adjunct cultures for small scale produc-ers. I think that’s because the purpose of adjuncts is to help with standardized milk and deliver a certain flavor down that pathway for different varieties of cheese.”

Potter says he has seen small chee-semakers do a lot with surface-ripened cheeses, creating different flavors through washing their cheese with different types of bacteria. He also sees cheesemakers develop flavor profiles through natural molds, ripening the cheese in cave environments that allow

natural microflora in that area to grow on the cheese. Many times nonstarter lactic acid bacteria already present in the milk, which has not been killed off in heat treatment, help contribute to flavor as well, he says.

For cheeses that are made from raw milk or do not use starter cultures that naturally eliminate pathogens, some companies have developed culture strains with microbial properties.

“There are new strains our suppliers have developed that will inhibit spoil-age organisms,” Potter says. “They will help inhibit growth of yeast, mold and spoilage agents. They also inhibit gas producing bacteria you wouldn’t want in cheese. They also have one that inhibits

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NEWS/BUSINESS

For more information please visit www.castlecheeseinc.com

Listeria. We call those antimicrobial strains.”

Reddy says IMAC has developed cultures specifically for Spanish cheeses that help stop pathogens. He also has worked with small cheesemakers to improve culture systems to help im-prove cheese yield. In addition, he says certain cultures such as probiotics can be used to improve the wholesomeness of cheeses.

No matter what kind of flavor profile or properties a cheesemaker requires,

it is always important that the cultures they use produce consistent results, Fahlin says.

“Quality and consistent cheese-making requires quality and con-sistent bulk or direct vat cultures, but this is often not enough due to uniqueness and complexities in each cheese plant,” Fahlin says. “To overcome these hurdles, having direct access to an experienced techni-cal service team is often directly linked to long-term product quality. The combination of quality cultures with superior technical service is the best guarantee of delivering consistently great cheese.” CMN

PROFILESContinued from page 11

Comings and goings … comings and goings

Zino Lappas has been appointed sanitary segment manger of Alfa Laval, McLean, Va. In his new role, Lappas will be responsible for imple-menting sales and marketing strate-gies to drive profitable growth for fluid handling and heat transfer equipment marketed to the dairy, food, beverage, personal care and bio-pharm indus-tries. Lappas joined Alfa Laval in 1991 as district sales manager for the Tri-Clover unit. For the past 10 years, he has served as national sales manager for Alfa Laval’s sanitary segment.

IDEX Corp., Cedar Falls, Iowa, has announced the promotion of Fenton Challgren to president of its chemical, food & process (CFP) segment, which includes three business units: Viking Pump, Wright Flow Technologies and Richter Chemie. Challgren has been with IDEX for six years, most recently serving as general manager of Viking Pump.

Foremost Farms USA, Baraboo, Wis., has named Gerald Brockway Jr. director of operations. In his new role, Brockway will be responsible for maxi-mizing operations and profitability at plants in Rothschild, Wis.; Plover, Wis.; Marshfield, Wis.; Chilton, Wis., and Alma Center, Wis. Brockway comes to Foremost Farms with 18 years of manufacturing experience. Most re-cently he was director of supply chain/operations at Naturipe Foods LLC, Grand Junction, Mich., where he oversaw various value-added contract manufacturing relationships (retail, industrial and foodservice) and stra-

tegic partnerships. He also established procedures and managed departments in the areas of project management, quality assurance and food safety, lo-gistics and operations management.

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. has named Valerie Traynor its senior vice president of specialty foods, a new-ly created position. Traynor will have national account responsibility for Vermont Farmstead Cheese’s current and future products. She brings more than 20 years of research and market-ing expertise to the position, including nine years in specialty foods retail as executive marketing director at Whole Foods Market. Most recently, she was owner and president of a marketing and consulting firm specializing in the natural and organic foods industry.

Chobani Greek Yogurt founder, president and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya was honored June 19 at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards for the New York area as the winner in the retail and consumer products category. Ulukaya has devel-oped one of the world’s fastest growing consumer brands.

The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) named Mike Beltrame, president of Beltrame Leffler Brand Communications, the recipient of the organization’s Presi-dent’s Award during the annual Dairy-Deli-Bake held in New Orleans. Bel-trame received the President’s Award from the IDDBA for the years of service he has provided to the organization through his communications firm. CMN

PEOPLE

White House, USDA report highlights growth of agricultural exports, organic equivalency dealsWASHINGTON — A new report, “Strengthening Rural Communities: Lessons from a Growing Farm Econo-my,” was jointly released this week by the White House Rural Council, Council of Economic Advisers and USDA.

The report focuses on the current state of the U.S. agricultural economy and the Obama administration’s strat-egy to strengthen and ensure its long-term success. It notes that the National Export Initiative has opened new mar-kets for U.S. agricultural products and services and contributed to a historic level of agricultural exports.

Since 2009, U.S. farmers and ranch-ers have delivered three of the four highest levels of U.S. agricultural exports in American history. In fiscal year 2011, total food and agriculture exports reached their highest level ever at $137.4 billion. In fiscal year 2012, the latest forecast predicts $134.5 billion in U.S. farm exports, the second highest ever and $3.5 billion greater than the previous forecast.

The report notes the Obama ad-ministration negotiated two organic food equivalency arrangements with Canada and the European Union, which are expected to enhance trade

in organic certified food products. Also, once fully implemented, free trade agreements passed with Korea, Panama and Colombia are projected to boost U.S. agricultural exports by $2.3 billion per year. The administration now is negotiating a new trade agreement, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), and continues to work to open export markets where U.S. farmers and ranch-ers face barriers.

“In 2010, President Obama commit-ted to doubling U.S. exports in five years, and just two years later, we are on pace to meet that goal,” says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The report also notes growth in the U.S. organic industry, which grew by 9.5 percent overall in 2011 to reach $31.4 billion in sales, and says organic farming has been one of the fastest growing sec-tors in U.S. agriculture. That growth has been particularly evident in the organic dairy sector, the report adds, which ac-counted for 16 percent of organic sales in 2008. The number of organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 26 percent between 2000 and 2008.

As an example of organic dairy growth, the report points to the CROPP

cooperative which was founded in Wisconsin by seven small farm families in 1988 and now is one of the largest organic cooperatives in the United States, representing 1,687 farmers. The cooperative sold more than $715 million in organic products under its Organic

Valley and Organic Prairie labels in 2011, up from $523 million in 2009, and about 85 percent of its sales are liquid milk.

To read the full report, visit www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/f i les /docs/rural_communit ies_ 06_11_2012.pdf. CMN

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MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) board of directors recently reviewed its fiscal year 2012 promotion and marketing results at its June board meeting here.

In the communications and local promotions area, highlights of WMMB’s programs to maintain and increase the consumption of Wisconsin cheese and dairy products included:

• More than 1.3 billion consumer impressions across the nation with ad-vertising and public relations activities in newspapers, magazines and online publicity messages.

• Support and sponsorship for spe-cial events that showcase Wisconsin cheese and dairy products, including the 11-day Tour of America’s Dairyland bicycle racing series, Dairy Day at Miller Park and more than 100 farm breakfasts and dairy events during June.

• Through Wisconsin Dairy Council (WDC) staff, nutrition education mes-sages were delivered to nearly 50,000 students in classroom presentations throughout the state and more than 130 radio and television interviews that highlighted dairy nutrition.

• School nutrition materials pro-vided to more than 1,500 Wisconsin schools, reaching more than 487,500 students.

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board directors review results of 2012 promotions, marketing• Launch of the Dairy Impact Wis-

consin channel on YouTube to inform consumers about how Wisconsin cheese and dairy product purchases benefit the state.

• Continued success of online and social media marketing to engage and inform consumers about Wisconsin’s dairy industry and our cheese and dairy products. Since January, WMMB websites have had almost 1.1 million visits and online newsletters were received by more than 278,300 people.

In marketing and promotional activities for national retail grocery stores, foodservice and food processing industry segments, WMMB:

• Conducted more than 1,290 super-market chain promotions conducted, with 18,500 cheese demos in major grocery stores across the country.

• Organized and conducted 56 food-service, retail and culinary tours and presented 62 cheese education semi-nars to key grocery buyers, restaurant operators and chefs.

• Expanded the number of Wiscon-sin promotions available in WMMB’s “Print-On-Demand” online toolkit to 20 major themes with more than 100 custom variations that grocery stores can use on a year-round basis.

• Increased Wisconsin identifica-tion on retail cheese packaging, with

WMMB’s Wisconsin Cheese and Wis-consin Dairy logos now being used on thousands of retail, foodservice and private label Wisconsin dairy products.

• Expanded the frozen pizza initia-tive with Jack’s, Emil’s and Luigi’s using Wisconsin Cheese logos on packages.

• Continued to build Wisconsin cheese promotions with regional and national restaurant chains such as Culvers, A&W and Country Kitchen.

• Supported the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (CDR), which administers the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker program and provides research and technical assistance to state cheese and dairy processors. CMN

Most prices decline in latest gDT auctionAUCKLAND, New Zealand — The trade weighted index was down 0.5 percent, and average prices for most commodities decreased Tuesday fol-lowing the latest auction on global-DairyTrade, Fonterra’s internet-based sales platform.

The only commodities to see a price increase were whole milk powder, which increased 2.7 percent from the event held earlier this month to US$2,886 per metric ton FAS ($1.3091 per pound), and buttermilk powder, which increased 2.5 percent to US$2,509 per metric ton FAS ($1.1381 per pound).

Average prices and percent changes from the June 5 event for other com-modities is as follows:

• Skim milk powder: US$2,934 per metric ton FAS ($1.2855 per pound), down 4.8 percent.

• Cheddar: US$3,117 per metric ton FAS ($1.4139 per pound), down 3.7 percent.

• Milk protein concentrate: US$4,214 per metric ton FAS ($1.9115 per pound), down 2.7 percent.

• Rennet casein: US$6,788 per met-ric ton FAS ($3.0890 per pound), down 1.9 percent.

• Anhydrous milkfat: US$3,092 per metric ton FAS ($1.4025 per pound), down 0.8 percent.

The next trading event will be held July 3. For more information, visit www.globalDairyTrade.info. CMN

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Estero Gold, an Italian-style cheese made by Valley Ford Cheese Co., Valley Ford, Calif., received best of show for cow’s milk cheeses at the 2012 California State Fair’s California Cheese Competition.

Estero Gold is made from Jersey cow milk in the style of an Asiago. It has an open texture with small holes and straw-like coloring, and a subtle, creamy and buttery taste, Valley Ford Cheese says.

Txiki, a Basque-style sheep’s milk cheese made by Barinaga Ranch, Mar-shall, Calif., received best of show for other milk types.

Judging for the California Cheese Competition took place in late May, and

Valley Ford Cheese Co., Barinaga Ranch take top awards at California State Fair contestall best of division winning cheeses will be displayed at the California State Fair July 12-29. The best of show and best of division cheeses also will be featured at California’s Grape & Gourmet public tasting event Aug. 18 at the Cal Expo center in Sacramento, Calif.

Following are the best of division winners and medalists in each class. If a class is not listed, there were no awards given for that class.COTTAGE CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division: Foster Farms Dairy, Modesto, Calif., 4% Cottage Cheese.• Class 1: Small Curd Cottage Cheese

Gold Medal: Foster Farms Dairy, Modesto, Calif., 4% Cottage Cheese.

Gold Medal: Foster Farms Dairy, Modesto, Calif., Lowfat Cottage Cheese.

Gold Medal: Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, Calif., Cottage Cheese.

Silver Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., 4% Cottage Cheese.

Silver Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., 4% Organic Cottage Cheese.

Silver Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., 4% Natural Cottage Cheese.

Silver Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., Natural Lowfat Cottage Cheese.

Bronze Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., Organic Lowfat Cottage Cheese.

Bronze Medal: Morningstar Foods LLC, Tulare, Calif., Lowfat Cottage Cheese.• Class 3: Nonfat Cottage Cheese

Silver Medal: Foster Farms Dairy, Modesto, Calif., Non Fat Cottage Cheese.• Class 4: Flavored Cottage Cheese

Silver Medal: Foster Farms Dairy, Modesto, Calif., Pineapple Cottage Cheese.CULTURED CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division: Orland Farmstead Creamery, Orland, Calif., Artichoke Torte.• Class 1: Cultured Cheese, Crème Fraîche, Fromage Blanc, Quark, Kefir, Mascarpone

Gold Medal: Orland Farmstead Creamery, Orland, Calif., Artichoke Torte.

Silver Medal: Orland Farmstead Creamery, Orland, Calif., Mango Torte.

Silver Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Labne Kefir Cheese.

Silver Medal: Morningstar Foods, Tulare, Calif., Creme Fraiche.

Bronze Medal: Morningstar Foods, Tulare, Calif., Kefir.

Bronze Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Foggy Morning.SOFT CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division (Cow): Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Natural Cream Cheese.

Best of Division (Other Milk Type): Laura Chenel’s Chevre, Sonoma, Calif., 8-ounce Log.• Class 1: Cream Cheese

Gold Medal: Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Natural Cream Cheese.• Class 3: Feta — all milks

Bronze Medal: Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Bella Capra Sirene.

Bronze Medal: Jollity Farm, Garden Valley, Calif., Feta.• Class 4: Feta — all milks, flavor added

Silver Medal: Orland Farmstead Creamery, Orland, Calif., Feta.

Silver Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Feta with Green Olives and Thyme.• Class 5: Ricotta

Bronze Medal: Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Organic Ricotta.• Class 7: Soft Fresh Cheese — open category, goat

Gold Medal: Laura Chenel’s Chevre, Sonoma, Calif., 8-ounce Log.

Gold Medal: Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Bella Capra Chevre.

Gold Medal: Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., Sgt. Pepper.

Gold Medal: Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., PsycheDillic.

Silver Medal: Jollity Farm, Garden Valley, Calif., Chevre.• Class 9: Soft Fresh Cheese — open category, cow

Gold Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Le Petit Dejeuner.

Silver Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Breakfast Cheese.

Turn to CALIFORNIA, page 15 D

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CALIFORNIAContinued from page 14

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• Class 10: Soft Fresh Cheese Flavored

Gold Medal: Laura Chenel’s Chevre, Sonoma, Calif., Chabis.

Gold Medal: Redwood Hill Farm, Sebastopol, Calif., Three Peppercorn Chevre.

Silver Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Foggy Morning with Garlic.• Class 13: Other — not described above

Gold Medal: Laura Chenel’s Chevre, Sonoma, Calif., Cabecou.

Bronze Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Jalapeno Spread.SEMI-SOFT CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Marin French Gold.• Class 1: Blue Veined Cheese

Silver Medal: Point Reyes Farm-stead Cheese Co., Point Reyes Station, Calif., Original Blue.

Bronze Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Le Petite Bleu.• Class 2: Open Category Goat

Silver Medal: Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., Humboldt Fog.

Silver Medal: Redwood Hill Farm, Sebastopol, Calif., California Crottin.

Silver Medal: Laura Chenel’s Chevre, Sonoma, Calif., Melodie.• Class 4: Open Category Cow

Silver Medal: Clover Stornetta Farms, Petaluma, Calif., Havarti.

Silver Medal: Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, Calif., Iverness.

Bronze Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Halleck Creek.

Bronze Medal: Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, Calif., Mt Tam.• Class 5: White Surface Mold — Brie

Gold Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Marin French Gold.

Gold Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., Triple Crème Brie.

Bronze Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., La Petite Crème.

Bronze Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., California 2 Kilo Brie.• Class 6: White Surface Mold — Camembert

Bronze Medal: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, Calif., La Petite Cam-embert.

Bronze Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Formagella.• Class 7: White Surface Mold — Flavored

Silver Medal: Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif., Truffle Tremor.

Silver Medal: Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, Calif., Pierce Point.• Class 8: Washed Rind — Schloss type

Bronze Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Nicasio Square.• Class 9: Hispanic Style

Gold Medal: Orland Farmstead Creamery, Orland, Calif., Queso Fresco.

Gold Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Panela.• Class 10: Pasta Filata (Mozzarella, Provolone, String)

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Mozzarella.

Gold Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Mozzarella Ball.

Silver Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Provolone.• Class 11: Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Indian

Bronze Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Paneer.• Class 13: Other — Not described above

Silver Medal: Redwood Hill Farm,

Sebastopol, Calif., Bucheret.Silver Medal: Orland Farmstead

Creamery, Orland, Calif., Queso Fresco.Bronze Medal: Nicasio Valley Cheese

Co., San Rafael, Calif., San Geronimo.SEMI-HARD CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division (Cow): Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Lionza.

Best of Division (Other Milk Type): Barinaga Ranch, Marshall, Calif., Txiki.• Class 1: Monterey Jack

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Reduced Fat Monterey Jack.

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Monterey Jack.

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Marbled Jack.

Silver Medal: Sonoma Creamery LLC, Sonoma, Calif., Sonoma Blue.

Silver Medal: Sonoma Creamery LLC, Sonoma, Calif., Sonoma Pesto.

Silver Medal: Sonoma Creamery LLC, Sonoma, Calif., Sonoma Haba-nero.• Class 2: Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo or Mixed Milk

Gold Medal: Barinaga Ranch, Mar-shall, Calif., Txiki.

Gold Medal: Meyenberg Goat Milk, Turlock, Calif., Valley Goat Cheddar.

Silver Medal: Bleating Heart Cheese, Sebastopol, Calif., Shepherdista.

Silver Medal: Bleating Heart Cheese, Sebastopol, Calif., Fat Bottom Girl.• Class 3: Hispanic

Silver Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Queso Blanco.• Class 5: Medium Cheddar (aged 3-6 months)

Bronze Medal: Sierra Nevada Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Organic Raw White Cheddar.

Bronze Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Medium Cheddar.

Bronze Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Mild Medium Cheddar.• Class 6: Aged Cheddar (aged over 6 months)

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Sharp Cheddar.

Gold Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Extra Sharp Cheddar.

Gold Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Bandage Wrap Ched-dar.

Silver Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Cheddar.

Bronze Medal: Clover Stornetta Farms, Petaluma, Calif., Sharp Ched-dar.• Class 7: Flavored Cheddar

Gold Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Hopscotch.

Silver Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Turn to CHEDDAR, page 16 D

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Modesto, Calif., Cheddar with Chipotle.Silver Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co.,

Modesto, Calif., Cheddar with Tar-ragon.

Silver Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Smoked Cheddar.

Bronze Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Cheddar with Habanero.

Bronze Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Chipotle Cheddar.• Class 9: Swiss

Gold Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., Lionza.• Class 10: Open Category — Goat, Sheep, Water Buffalo, Cow or Mixed

Gold Medal: Nicasio Cheese Co., San Rafael, Calif., Nicasio Reserve.

Gold Medal: Cowgirl Creamery, Petaluma, Calif., Wagon Wheel.• Class 11: Other — Not described above

Gold Medal: Valley Ford Cheese Co., Valley Ford, Calif., Highway One.

Gold Medal: Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Point Reyes Station, Calif., Toma.

Silver Medal: Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, Calif., Pepper Jack.

Silver Medal: Valley Ford Cheese Co., Valley Ford, Calif., Estero Gold.

Silver Medal: Rumiano Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Smoked Mozzarella.

Silver Medal: Rumiano Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Organic Monterey Jack.

Bronze Medal: Fiscalini Cheese Co., Modesto, Calif., San Joaquin Gold.

Bronze Medal: Vella Cheese Co., So-noma, Calif., Italian Style Table Cheese.

Bronze Medal: Karoun Dairies Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., Grilling Cheese with Jalapeno.HARD CHEESE DIVISION

Best of Division: Valley Ford Cheese Co., Valley Ford, Calif., Estero Gold Reserve.• Class 2: Aged Jack

Gold Medal: Vella Cheese Co., Sonoma, Calif., Special Select Dry Monterey Jack.

Silver Medal: Rumiano Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Dry Monterey Jack.

Silver Medal: Rumiano Cheese Co., Willows, Calif., Dry Jack with Whole Peppercorns.• Class 4: Grating or Grana Style

Gold: Valley Ford Cheese Co., Valley Ford, Calif., Estero Gold Reserve.• Class 5: Other — Not described above

Bronze: Vella Cheese Co., So-noma, Calif., Asiago. CMN

CHEDDARContinued from page 15 NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Kraft Foods

Group Inc. recently announced it in-tends to close its Waupaca, Wis., cheese manufacturing facility in the second quarter of 2013.

The 84,000-square-foot plant makes a variety of specialty spreads and cheeses, including Athenos, Kraft and Hoffman’s brands. The 120 employees at the plant were informed of the com-pany’s plans last week.

Kraft acquired the plant in 1987.“After careful analysis and review,

we identified some opportunities to combine production, gain efficiencies

Kraft Foods to close Waupaca cheese plantand reduce expenses in our cheese and dairy network,” says Jim Durkin, vice president of operations for Kraft’s cheese and dairy business unit.

He says combining Waupaca volume with Kraft’s Wausau, Wis., plant and external manufacturers will signifi-cantly lower the company’s overhead costs and create more scale across its manufacturing network. He adds the company will work with the affected employees to help them through the transition.

The company plans to sell the prop-erty once production has ended. CMN

WASHINGTON — Licensed cheese imports to the U.S. increased in May to a total of 14.4 million pounds, up 22 percent from May 2011, according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). January-May licensed cheese imports totaled 62.4 million pounds, down 4 percent from the same period last year. (The figures released by USDA and USDEC are in kilograms; Cheese Market News has converted the data to pounds by multiplying by 2.2046.)

Licensed imports of Italian-type cheeses increased 336 percent in May to 3.3 million pounds. Swiss and Em-menthaler imports subject to licensing requirements also increased. Licensed imports of Blue Mold cheeses and pro-cessed Gruyere decreased in May, while other categories remained relatively stable compared to a year ago. Licensed butter imports increased 74 percent to 598,104 pounds in May. January-May imports of high-tier cheese and other dairy products totaled 11.3 million

May licensed cheese imports total 14.4 million pounds; dairy exports rise in June

pounds, up 5 percent from the first five months of 2011.

Earlier this month the U.S. Dairy Export Council reported that U.S. dairy export volumes were steady in April, boosted by continued strong sales of cheese and high-value whey proteins, according to FAS trade data. Total export value in April was $460 million, up 17 percent from April 2011. In the February-April period, U.S. exports of dry ingredients (milk powder, whey, lactose), cheese and butterfat were 913.9 million pounds, up 5 percent from the previous year. (The figures released by USDA and USDEC are in metric tons; Cheese Market News has converted the data to pounds by multiplying by 2,204.6.)

Milk powder and total whey protein exports both were up 17 percent in April. Cheese exports were up 31 percent over a year ago to 53.3 million pounds in April.

Butterfat exports were down 29 percent and lactose exports down 8 percent in April. CMN

WASHINGTON — USDA is asking dairy producer and farm organizations to nominate candidates to serve on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Nominations must be submitted by July 20, 2012.

The secretary of agriculture will appoint 12 individuals from those nominated to succeed members whose terms expire Oct. 31, 2012. The 12 new members will serve terms ending Oct. 31, 2015.

USDA will accept nominations from the following regions: Region 1 (Alaska, Oregon and Washington); Region 2 (California and Hawaii); Region 4 (Ar-kansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas); Region 5 (Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota); Region 6 (Wisconsin); Region 7 (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska); Region 8 (Idaho); Region 9 (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia); Region 11 (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania); and Region 12 (Con-necticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont). One member will be ap-

USDA seeks National Dairy Board nomineespointed for each of Regions 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12, and two members will be appointed for each of Regions 2 and 6.

USDA established the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 to develop and administer a coordinated program of promotion, research and nutrition education. The 38-member board is authorized to design programs to strengthen the dairy indus-try’s position in domestic and foreign markets. The program is financed by a mandatory 15-cents-per-hundredweight assessment on all milk produced and marketed commercially, and a 7.5-cents-per-hundredweight assessment on milk, or equivalent thereof, and dairy products imported into the United States.

For nominating forms and informa-tion, visit www.ams.usda.gov/dairy or contact Whitney A. Rick, director of the Promotion, Research and Planning Divi-sion, Dairy Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 2958-S, Stop 0233, Washington, D.C. 20250-0233; call 202-720-6909; fax 202-720-0285; or e-mail [email protected]. CMN

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Steve Stettler, right, president of Decatur Dairy, Brodhead, Wis., and Glennette Stettler, secretary/treasurer, Decatur Dairy, display a cake during the grand opening of the new cheese store at the dairy on June 16. The new 900-square-foot store, attached to the front of the dairy plant, features grilled cheese sandwiches, Babcock Hall ice cream and Decatur Dairy’s more than 50 cheese varieties, Stettler says. The store was expanded to allow for the growing clientele the dairy has seen over the years, he adds.

Photo courtesy of Decatur Dairy

Decatur Dairy delight

India permitting casein exportsWASHINGTON — USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently reported that India’s government has amended its policy for casein and casein product exports. The amendment moves casein and casein products from the “prohib-ited” to the “restricted” category, thus permitting casein exports from India under license.

In February 2011, India’s govern-ment prohibited the export of milk powders (including skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, dairy whitener and infant milk foods), ca-sein and casein products in order to control the rising prices of milk and milk products.

India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce, issued a notification on May 1, 2012, amending the policy for casein and casein product exports to allow these products under license. Skim milk pow-der exports remain restricted. CMN

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averaged an estimated 1,901 pounds, 22 pounds more than a year earlier.

In the 23 major milk-producing states, NASS reports there were 8.52 million cows in May, 3,000 head less than in April 2012 but 77,000 head more than in May 2011. Production per cow in the 23 major states in May averaged 1,924 pounds, 22 pounds above May 2011.

California, the leading milk-pro-ducing state, saw production total 3.74 billion pounds in May, up 1.9 percent from its production a year earlier. The state was home to 1.8 million cows, down 2,000 head from a month earlier but up 16,000 head from a year earlier. Production per cow in California aver-aged 2,100 pounds, up 20 pounds from a year earlier.

Wisconsin followed with 2.34 bil-lion pounds of milk produced, up 2.4 percent from its production a year earlier. There were 1.27 million cows on Wisconsin farms, up 1,000 head from April 2012 and up 5,000 head from May 2011. Production per cow in Wisconsin averaged 1,840 pounds, 35 pounds more than a year earlier. CMN

FDA announces improvements to Reportable Food Registry; report shows submission dropWASHINGTON — FDA recently an-nounced that it is improving the Report-able Food Registry (RFR) by adding new data elements.

The RFR’s new Rational Questionnaire incorporates additional data elements as part of an effort to improve the RFR’s in-formation gathering capability, FDA says.

The RFR is an electronic portal that requires manufacturers, processors, pack-ers and holders (warehousers, distribu-tors, etc.) of FDA-regulated foods/feeds to quickly report to FDA via the online Safety Reporting Portal any foods, feeds or ingre-dients that could result in serious adverse health consequences to humans or animals.

Reportable food submissions provide early warning to FDA about potential public health risks and increase the speed with which the agency and its partners at the state and local levels can investigate the reports and take appropriate follow-up action, including ensuring that the report-able foods are removed from commerce when necessary, FDA notes.

Additional elements include the reason the food has been determined to be reportable (agent); a description of the root cause of the reportable food; a brief justification of the process used to determine which product or batch was af-fected; whether the submitter believes all of the reportable food has been removed from commerce; a brief description of the corrective actions taken to avoid repeat-ing the reportable event; the commodity type of the reportable food; the product’s manufacturing date; whether the report-able food underwent treatment to reduce microorganisms; a brief description of the

microbial reduction treatment; whether a bacterial isolate is available for FDA collection; the animal species that the reportable food was intended to be con-sumed by, and the life stage of the animal that the reportable food was intended to be consumed by (for reportable foods in-tended for animal consumption); whether the responsible party has notified all of its immediate previous sources (suppliers) of the reportable food; and whether the responsible party has notified all of its immediate subsequent recipients (cus-tomers) of the reportable food.

Providing information in response to the new data elements is voluntary for the time being; however, later this year responses to these elements will become mandatory, FDA says.

The electronic portal for the RFR is located at www.SafetyReporting.hhs.gov.

Meanwhile, the second annual report for the RFR was recently posted and shows a significant drop in total submis-sions, FDA says.

The new report summarizes the RFR’s second year of operation (Sept. 8, 2010-Sept. 7, 2011) and found that it logged 225 primary reports (initial reports about a safety concern with a food or animal feed), including food ingredients; 483 subsequent reports from suppliers or recipients of a food or feed for which a primary report has been submitted; and 174 amended reports to correct or add in-formation to previously submitted reports.

The number of primary reports in the second year was almost identical to the first year, FDA says, with 229 entries in Year 1 and 225 in each year. However, the number of subsequent entries declined from 1,872 in the first year to 483 in the second year, the agency says.

As a result, the total number of sub-missions fell from 2,600 in the first year to 1,153 in the second year.

The report notes that the difference in total reportable entries between the two years was the result of three primary reportable entries in the first year that

resulted in 1,284 subsequent reports. These included Listeria monocytogenes in widely distributed cheese spreads, which resulted in 106 subsequent reports; undeclared sulfites in widely distributed prepared side dishes, which resulted in 108 subsequent reports; and Salmonella in a very widely used ingredient, hydro-lyzed vegetable protein, which resulted in 1,070 subsequent reports.

The 225 primary RFR entries in the second year involved 22 commodities, including dairy. There were a total of 16

Turn to RFR, page 20 D

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primary RFR entries for dairy products in the second year, down from 18 entries in the first year, FDA says.

For the second year, the 16 primary RFR entries for dairy products included the following food safety hazards: seven for Listeria monocytogenes, three for Salmonella and six for undeclared al-lergens. In the first year, the 18 primary RFR entries for dairy products included the following food safety hazards: one for E. coli 0157:H7, eight for Listeria mono-cytogenes, one for Salmonella and eight for undeclared allergens.

Of the 225 primary reports for the second year, Salmonella accounted for 38.2 percent of hazards, undeclared al-lergens accounted for 33.3 percent and Listeria monocytogenes accounted for 17.8 percent. Of the 229 primary reports in the first year, Salmonella accounted for 37.6 percent, undeclared allergens for 30.1 percent and Listeria monocytogenes for 14.4 percent, FDA says.

The 40 primary reports in the second year for Listeria monocytogenes show a 21-percent increase over the 33 primary reports in the first year. The “prepared foods” category accounted for a quarter of the Listeria reports, with 10 primary reports, with prepared sandwiches re-sponsible for five entries and ready-to-eat salads the cause of the other five, FDA says.

Seafood accounted for eight Listeria entries, with smoked fish products ac-counting for six entries. The seven Listeria entries for dairy products included five entries for various cheese products.

After the first-year review of primary RFR entries concerning foods and in-gredients from international sources, FDA made a concerted effort to make international trade organizations, foreign government authorities and foreign food facilities aware of the RFR’s requirements, the agency says.

Primary RFR entries for foods from international sources increased slightly, from 53 in the first year to 56 in the sec-ond year. There were no dairy products included among those 53 primary RFR en-tries for foods from international sources.

To v i e w t h e r e p o r t , v i s -i t www. fda .gov. CMN

Sen. Schumer urges USDA to make Greek yogurt more accessible in school meal programsWASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., this week in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged USDA to revise the federal school lunch and breakfast programs to make Greek yogurt a more affordable option for schools.

Current USDA regulations for public schools consider Greek yogurt to be the same as regular yogurt despite its higher protein content, Schumer says.

He notes that by creating new guide-lines for Greek yogurt that recognize its nutritional and high protein value, the push would enable schools to better incor-porate the food into their meal programs.

Schumer adds that the effort also would benefit dairy manufacturers,

particularly in New York, where there is a “booming” yogurt industry.

“Grocery shelves across Upstate New York and the country are filled to the brim with Greek yogurt, but unfortunately, de-spite their high protein and competitive cost, we can’t say the same for New York school children and their school lunch and breakfast menus,” he says. “With a stroke of a pen, Secretary Vilsack could provide healthier foods for New York’s school children and an economic boost for yogurt makers and dairy farmers, two of the state’s most important industries.”

Current USDA regulations for the school lunch program require schools to offer a minimum amount of “meats/

meat alternative” in school meals, the category that traditional yogurt falls into. The yogurt guideline states that all yogurt, whether regular or Greek-style, must weigh 4 ounces in order to be considered one serving of meat/meat alternative and 8 ounces to be considered 2 servings.

Schumer says this single standard for all yogurt creates an issue for Greek yo-gurt, as USDA’s guidelines do not account for the nutritional difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt.

Currently, a key barrier to adding Greek yogurt to school menus is cost, Schumer notes. Because Greek yogurt costs more per ounce than regular yogurt, many schools have found it is not an eco-

nomical choice to purchase the standard portion size required for regular yogurt at the higher cost, he says.

Therefore, Schumer says he is urging USDA to develop specific school lunch program guidelines for Greek yogurt.

“By ensuring that USDA school lunch requirements better reflect the now widely-available Greek yogurt and its nutritional value, schools could be able to purchase smaller, less costly servings of Greek yogurt, incor-porate the food into their breakfast and lunch programs and still meet protein requirements,” he says. CMN

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senate passes 2012 farm bill; focus now shifts to u.s. house · submitted by sen. jim demint,...

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