Expanded Education Sessions Taking Shape for 2022 CheeseExpo

Larger than ever before, 2022 CheeseExpo on April 12-14 will feature more industry education seminars and workshops to match a record number of exhibits for dairy processors. Register at CheeseExpo.org by February 1 for a 20 percent discount on full registration rates.

Join hosts Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) for the event of the year at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, U.S. Dairy Export Council, and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) will add their expertise to the seminar lineup on the mornings of April 13 and 14, followed by afternoons to explore over 600 exhibits of dairy processing and packaging equipment, automation, ingredients, software, and services.

Krysta Harden, President and CEO of U.S. Dairy Export Council, will moderate the RELCO Opening Keynote on April 13. Harden will lead a panel of industry executives exploring opportunities for U.S. dairy processors to advance international sales and sustainability efforts.

Four breakout education sessions will follow, including a cheese and whey export seminar with U.S Dairy Export Council staff. DFW will examine domestic opportunities for value-added cheese sales, and CDR will unveil “hot topics” in dairy research – five recently-completed cheese research projects. Finally, the popular “artisan track” will focus on value-added cheese production and advanced technology available in the new CDR building on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus.

WCMA closes the morning of April 13 with an invitation to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to address a general session of CheeseExpo.

April 14 opens with celebration: the WCMA Recognition Breakfast exclusively sponsored by DSM Food Specialties. The Wisconsin Center Banquet Hall will fill as attendees seek to applaud industry leaders for outstanding careers, including the WCMA Distinguished Service Award for supplier partners, WCMA Cheese Industry Champion for dairy leaders, WCMA Babcock Award for top educators, WCMA Vanguard Award for innovative cheesemakers, WCMA Life Member Award for service to the Association and its members, and a new honor, the WCMA Luminary Award for sales and marketing leaders.

Four educational opportunities will follow the WCMA Recognition Breakfast. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy will partner with CDR to discuss dairy product safety & sanitation, including a talk and panel on establishing a food safety culture in your dairy plant. WCMA will focus on a key concern among processors: recruiting and retaining an effective workforce. CDR plans a “hot topics” session on cheese quality, including brine management, phage monitoring and control, and flavor defects in cheddar cheese. Finally, your hosts at WCMA and CDR will team up for a workshop on creating an effective cheese grading program at manufacturing sites.

Look for seminar updates at CheeseExpo.org. For more information, contact events@wischeesemakers.org.