d's Dairy orl In W du e st h r t y g W n i e e v Since 1876 k r e l y S CHEESE REPORTER Vol. 138, No. 39 • Friday, March 21, 2014 • Madison, Wisconsin Swiss Cheese Maker’s Emmentaler Wheel Wins World Championship Cheese Contest Erzherzog Johann By Austria Cheese Maker Named First Runner-Up; Gruyere By Switzerland’s Fromagerie Moleson Takes Second Runner-Up Madison—Gerard Sinnesberger in the final judging round. of Kaserei Sinnesberger in Gams, “Congratulations to the thou- Switzerland, won the coveted title sands of cheese makers from around of World Champion Cheese Maker the world who participated in the here Wednesday evening with largest technical cheese competi- his Original Schweizer Rohmilch tion ever held,” said WCMA exec- Emmentaler, which scored 97.85 utive director John Umhoefer. in the final round of judging. Prior to Wednesday evening’s Sponsored by the Wiscon- championship round of judging, sin Cheese Makers Association contest judges selected 16 cheese (WCMA), this year’s World finalists. Championship Cheese Con- Of the final 16, eight entries test drew a record total of 2,615 were from the US, two from Aus- 16 finalists noted: MEDIUM CHEDDAR entries. tria, three from Switzerland, one Best of Class and Finalist: First runner-up in the contest from Denmark, one from Germany MILD CHEDDAR Cracker Barrel Natural Cheese was Alois Pichler and team at and one from Portugal. Best of Class: David Schmidt, Team, Agropur Weyauwega for Obersteirische Molkerei eGen in Also of the final 16 cheeses, two Agropur, Inc., Weyauwega, WI, Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL, 99.55 Knittelfeld, Austria, with a Erzher- were sheep’s milk varieties, one 99.10 Second: Kiel Production Team, zog Johann entry earning 97.689 in was a goat’s milk cheese and one a Second: Terry Lensmire, Agropur, Land O’ Lakes, Kiel, WI, 99.50 the final round of judging. mixed milk variety. Inc., Weyauwega, WI, 98.95 Third Award: Cheddar Room Second runner-up honors went The other 12 were cow’s milk Third Award: Team Petaluma Team, Cabot Creamery Coopera- to Fromagerie Moleson of Orson- cheeses. First, second and third Creamery, CROPP Cooperative/ tive, Cabot, VT, 99.30 nens, Switzerland, with a Gruyere place winners in each of the 90 Organic Valley, La Farge, WI, AOP achieving a score of 97.575 categories are as follows, with the 98.90 • SeeCheese Contest, p. 8 USDA Extends Dairy Rising Supplies Could Start To Ease Global Milk Production Rose Forward Pricing Program Dairy Product Prices In Coming Months 1.4% In February; Cow Until Sept. 30, 2018; Numbers Down 1,000 Head; But Rabobank Says Rate somewhat closer to those of other Contracts Are Subject To product streams, Rabobank said. NASS Adds South Dakota, Sept. 30, 2021 Expiration Of Price Reduction Will Be March brought a small reduction Removes Missouri Washington—USDA’s Agricul- Limited By Several Factors in prices across most categories, Washington—Milk production tural Marketing Service (AMS) New York—Rabobank, in its a possible sign that the market is in the 23 reporting states during today published a final rule that quarterly dairy outlook report finally turning from the “phenom- February totaled 14.917 billion extends the dairy forward pricing released today, expects global enally high levels” which have pounds, up 1.4 percent from Feb- program under federal milk mar- dairy product prices to begin eas- been in place for 12 months. ruary of 2013, USDA’s National keting orders until September 30, ing from the middle to late in the Global prices have so far proven Agricultural Statistics Service 2018. second quarter of 2014. resilient in the face of a recov- (NASS) reported Wednesday. The dairy forward pricing pro- But the rate of price reduction ery in milk production in export Beginning with this “Milk Pro- gram, which was first authorized by will be limited by structural con- regions since July. Responding duction” report, NASS added the 2008 farm bill, allows handlers straints on suppliers, the need to to high milk prices and falling South Dakota to the monthly esti- regulated under the federal order replenish depleted buyer invento- feed costs, and aided by generally mating program and removed Mis- program to pay producers and ries and ongoing demand growth excellent weather, producers in souri. cooperative associations in accor- in line with a slow economic the Big 6 export regions boosted South Dakota’s milk production dance with the terms of a forward recovery, Rabobank said. milk production by 3.7 per- has increased from 1.474 billion contract and not have to pay the Dairy prices generally pushed cent year-over-year in the three pounds in 2000 to 2.023 billion minimum federal order uniform upwards in international trade months to January. pounds in 2013, while Missouri’s price for milk. through January and Febru- With limited calls on addi- milk production has declined from Establishing new contracts ary. Whole milk powder was tional product from the weak 2.258 billion pounds to 1.349 bil- under the dairy forward pricing the exception, with prices slip- European Union (EU) and US lion pounds over that period. In ping marginally over the period, markets, after a lag, this product 2013, South Dakota not only out- • SeeForward Pricing, p. 15 bringing returns to this product • SeePrices Could Ease, p. 14 • SeeMilk Output Up, p. 6 Page 2 CHEESE REPORTER March 21, 2014 Past Issues Read this week’s issue EDITORIAL COMMENT or past issues of Cheese Reporter on your mobile phone or ...despite the lack of new product tablet by scanning this stars at retail, the cheese industry is QR code. DICK GROVES a pretty dynamic business these days, Cheese Reporter Publishing Co. Inc. © 2014 even when compared with the public- 2810 Crossroads Drive, Suite 3000 Publisher / Editor ity-garnering yogurt business. Madison, WI 53718-7972 (608) 246-8430 • Fax (608) 246-8431 Cheese Reporter http://www.cheesereporter.com [email protected] DICK GROVES Publisher/Editor e-mail: [email protected] 608-316-3791 Cheese Industry Doesn’t Need New Retail Product Stars MOIRA CROWLEY As we reported last week (please try’s success at the retail level is in lion, while the US exported only Specialty Cheese Editor e-mail: [email protected] see the story on page 7 by scanning private label, not national brands. about 33 million pounds of yogurt, 608-316-3793 the QR Code at the top of this Indeed, some of the largest and valued at about $36 million. KEVIN THOME page), three new yogurt products best-known US cheese companies Indeed, the US still runs a yogurt Advertising & Marketing Director were among the top new food and specialize in private label sales. trade deficit; imports last year e-mail: [email protected] beverage products of 2013, accord- Notably, the top two new prod- totaled about 44 million pounds. 608-316-3792 ing to a report from Information ucts identified by IRI are from the By contrast, given that US BETTY MERKES Classifieds/Circulation Manager Resources, Inc. brands that have long ranked first cheese exports grew from 239 mil- e-mail: [email protected] These highly successful new and second in the US yogurt busi- lion pounds in 2009 to 696 million 608-316-3790 yogurt products, their ranking in ness: Dannon and Yoplait. pounds in 2013, it could be argued REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: IRI’s list of “2013 New Product Yet another reason yogurt fares that “cheese for export” is one of Bob Cropp, Neville McNaughton, Pacesetters,” and their year-one better than cheese in launching the all-time great new product Kelton Greenway, Dan Strongin, John Umhoefer dollar sales, were: first, Dannon retail “stars” is because, as Susan pacesetters for the dairy industry. You can e-mail our contributors at: [email protected] Light & Fit Greek yogurt, $144.9 Viamari, editor, Thought Lead- Yes, despite the lack of new million; second, Yoplait Greek ership, IRI, noted, innovation in product stars at retail, the cheese The Cheese Reporter is the official publication of the following associations: 100, $135.1 million; and sixth, 2013 was “all about healthier-for- industry is a pretty dynamic busi- California Cheese & Butter Association Muller Yogurt, $95.8 million. you products.” Indeed, Dannon ness these days, even when com- Lisa Waters, These are truly impressive first- Light & Fit Greek yogurt has 80 pared with the publicity-garnering 1011 Pebble Beach Dr, Clayton, CA 94517 year sales totals, and a testament calories and no fat, while Yoplait yogurt business. It’s worth remem- Central Wisconsin Cheesemakers’ and to the excitement being generated Greek 100 has, as the name bering, for example, that yogurt Buttermakers’ Association by the yogurt category, particularly implies, 100 calories. production last year totaled a Jim Mildbrand, PO Box 160 Greenwood, WI 54437 the Greek yogurt category. The cheese industry, mean- record-high 4.65 billion pounds, Cheese Importers Association of America But we can’t help but wonder: while, introduced a number of but yogurt output still fell a bit 204 E St. NE, Washington, DC 20002 Why are there no new cheese reduced-fat products, mainly back short of Italian cheese production Eastern Wisconsin Cheesemakers’ and products in this list? Is the cheese in the 1990s, but few if any of these (4.79 billion pounds). Buttermakers’ Association category so lacking in new product really caught on with consumers. Thanks to some of the points Barb Henning, Henning’s Cheese excitement that it can’t place one Yes, there are a number of “health- noted earlier (growing private 21812 Ucker Road, Kiel, WI 53042 product in IRI’s top 10? ier-for-you” cheese products on the label sales, rising sales outside the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association Carol Christison, P.O.