AMES — Katie Ranard, a senior in nutritional science from Newton, was one of three who represented the Iowa State Dairy Products Evaluation club that placed third at the 93rd annual National Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest. The team placed first in cheddar cheese judging, third in butter judging, and third in ice cream judging. Twelve schools from the United States and Canada participated in the contest.
This years’ contest took place at Hoffman Estates, Ill. Students tested their palates against professional judges in six different dairy products: fluid milk, butter, yogurt, Cheddar cheese, ice cream and Cottage cheese. During the competition, the students utilize their method honed sensory skills and standardized scorecards to evaluate the quality of and score the products. Teams and individuals that score closest to the expert evaluations are honored with awards.