Lactalis USA wins 19 medals at World Championship Cheese Contest

USA – Lactalis USA has won 19 medals across gold, silver and bronze categories for dairy production expertise at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, the largest technical dairy products evaluation in the world.

The company received five gold medals, including for Président Rondelé Mango Habanero spreadable cheese, Kraft Grated Parmesan, Karoun Labne Tzatziki, Le Châtelain Brie and Laktein WPC80, a high-quality, fast-digesting protein powder containing at least 80 per cent protein designed for sports nutrition and food manufacturing. 

“We are honored to be recognized for our tasty, high‑quality lineup of iconic cheeses as well as our dairy ingredients,” said Bill Cassidy, chief executive officer, cheese divisions, Lactalis USA.

“This kind of recognition from the cheese‑making community really speaks to the hard work and passion our Lactalis team brings every day to creating delicious products that inspire and delight our customers and consumers.”

The contest is the world’s largest technical dairy product competition for cheese, butter, yogurt and dry dairy ingredients. A team of expert judges spanning five continents assessed each entry based on rigorous technical standards across 150 classes.

The World Championship Cheese Contest is the world’s premier technical cheese, butter, and yogurt competition. The World Contest has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association biennially since 1957.

Entries are evaluated by a team of skilled technical judges from all over the world. Starting from a maximum possible 100 points, deductions are made for various defects found by each judge.

Defects are noted in the areas of flavor, body and texture, salt, color, finish, packaging, and other appropriate attributes. A Gold medal, Silver medal and Bronze medal are awarded to the three highest-scoring entries in each class.

Recently, the company announced that it will invest more than US$75 million to modernise its manufacturing facilities in Walton and Buffalo, New York, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency in the dairy sector.

This investment is expected to retain over 800 jobs and create more than 50 new positions, further solidifying New York’s role as a key player in the national dairy industry.

The Walton facility, known for producing Breakstone’s Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese, will undergo a US$15 million upgrade focused on automating production lines to increase capacity and sustainability.

These enhancements are projected to boost output by 30% and create approximately 20 new jobs. Key improvements will include new fillers, HEPA air filtration systems and advanced lab equipment.

In Buffalo, Lactalis plans to invest US$60 million to expand its production capabilities for Galbani Ricotta, Mozzarella and Provolone cheese.

The expansion will feature the installation of advanced processing equipment, including six new 50,000-pound vats, which will increase mozzarella and provolone production by 37 million pounds annually.

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