2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest

TWIN FALLS, IDAHO MAKES 8 OF THE BEST CHEESES IN THE U.S.A.

GLANBIA FOODS WINS 8 MEDALS IN

2009 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP CHEESE CONTEST

            TWIN FALLS, ID – May 7, 2009 – Glanbia Foods, the world’s largest producer of American-style cheddar cheese, won a record-breaking eight awards for making some of the best cheese in the United States.  Glanbia, earned two gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the recent 2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest held in Wisconsin. Glanbia’s cheeses won their categories from over 1,336 entries from around the country.

            A panel of independent judges evaluated entries on numerous cheese attributes including texture, body, color, taste and finish. 

Glanbia was awarded gold medals for Colby-Jack and Flavored Monterey Jack Cheese, silver medals for Bandaged Cheddar, Colby-Jack, Monterey Jack and Flavored Cheddar Cheese, and bronze medals for Colby-Jack and Flavored Monterey Jack cheeses, sweeping all three medals in the Colby-Jack category.  In addition, Glanbia’s sister company, Southwest Cheese in New Mexico also earned a gold medal for Monterey Jack.

“Glanbia’s Twin Falls plant has earned an unprecedented number of medals this year for producing superior quality cheeses, some of the best this country has to offer,” said Jeff Williams, president and chief executive officer of Glanbia Foods.  “Our 640 employees and the 200 dairy farms that supply Glanbia with premium quality milk should be very proud of these national recognitions for making outstanding cheese,” Williams said.

            Glanbia Foods is one of the fastest growing and most successful dairy companies in the United States and is the largest American-style cheddar cheese manufacturer in the World.  Between Glanbia and its joint venture Southwest Cheese, the company processes approximately 20 million pounds of milk everyday into cheese and whey products from three world-class cheese manufacturing and whey processing facilities in Southern Idaho – Twin Falls, Gooding & Richfield -- and Clovis, New Mexico. This results in over 700 million pounds of cheese and 125 million pounds of dairy ingredients annually.

Its cheese products include cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, Colby, Colby jack low-fat cheddar, low-fat Monterey jack, queso quesadilla for retail and food service sectors, and cheddar and barrel cheddar for processed cheese customers and various organic varieties.  Glanbia employs over 640 people in Southern Idaho and another 270 in Clovis, New Mexico.

PHOTO CAPTION:  Accepting Glanbia Foods’ numerous gold, silver and bronze medals from the 2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, pictured left to right are:  David Snyder, VP of Cheese Sales; Ricardo Rivas, Cheese Production Manager at Southwest Cheese;  Rudy Jozelic, Twin Falls Production Manager; John Lanigan, VP of Cheese Operations; Tim Herby Twin Falls Plant Manager; Jake Dorman, Twin Falls Production Team Leader.

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