Dairy Contest
The 30th Annual Intermountain Milk Processors Contest is almost here, and it is time to get prepared. All dairy product entries will be judged on Tuesday, August 11th, 2026 at the Glanbia Nutritionals production facility in Twin Falls, ID, prior to the IMPA Conference to be held at the Sun Valley Resort, August 13 – 14, 2026.
Eligibility
The IMPA board wants to encourage all eligible processors to participate. To qualify, entries must be manufactured within the states of Idaho, Utah, Washington or Oregon. There is an exception for the Farmstead and Artisan classes (see below). All entries must be made from Bovine milk. No product(s) will be accepted if sourced in whole or in part from the milk of other lactating mammals. Members of IMPA may submit qualifying entries to the contest at no charge. IMPA non-Members may submit entries only if they qualify within Classes 14 & 15, and at a cost of $75 per entry submission. (You may pay for your entries via the IMPA contest website, check, or credit card if not a member). We encourage you to enter as many classes as you wish and look forward to your entries. Please refer to www.IMPA.US for membership information.
Enclosed please find an entry form, shipping label, and the contest rules. You can also access the rules, shipping label, and entry form on the IMPA website at https://www.impa.us/conference-information.
It is your responsibility to ensure your entries are properly labeled and shipped to arrive in good condition.
Entries must arrive at Glanbia Foods, Inc., Twin Falls between the dates of Aug 3 – Aug. 7, 2026.
Ship to:
ATTN: Dalibor Bampa
IMPA Product Contest
Glanbia Foods, Inc.
236 Washington Street So.
Twin Falls, ID 83301
208-392-8657
Please review the classes to be recognized in the 2026 IMPA Contest listed below. It is the responsibility of the entrant to place their entry in the appropriate class.
Contest Classes:
Class 1 – Current Cheddar Cheese - Cheese less than 3 months old; it must be manufactured on or after May 11, 2026; date of manufacture to be stated on the entry form
Class 2 - Medium Cheddar Cheese - Cheese 3 to 6 months old; must be manufactured between February 11 and May 11, 2026; date of manufacture to be stated on the entry form
Class 3 – Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Cheese 6 to 12 months old, manufactured between August 11, 2025, and Feb 10, 2026; date of manufacture to be stated on the entry form
Class 4 – Aged Cheddar Cheese – 12- 24 months old, manufactured between August 11, 2024, and
August 11, 2025; date of manufacture to be stated on the entry form
Class 5 – Aged Cheddar Cheese – Cheese older than 24 months, manufactured on or before August 11, 2024; date of manufacture to be stated on the entry form
Class 6 – Colby/Monterey Jack /Muenster– Class to include Colby, Monterey Jack, Muenster and any other mixed washed curd cheeses
Class 7 – Hard Italian Cheese – Class to include Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, cotija types of cheese, cheese with a rind, etc.; date of manufacture and a brief description to be stated on the entry form
Class 8 – Soft/Semi-soft and Fresh Italian Cheese – Class to include fresh Italian cheese, mozzarella, string cheese, Provolone etc.
Class 9 - Spiced Cheese – Cheese flavored with peppers of any kind, peppercorns or savory spices (Open to all varieties of base cheese); please provide a brief description of the cheese to aid in judging
Class 10 – Flavored Cheese – Cheese flavored with herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, syrups or smoked cheeses (Open to all varieties of base cheese); please provide a brief description of the cheese to aid in judging
Class 11 – Open Reduced Fat Cheese – Cheese manufactured to contain a minimum of 20% less fat than the normal composition standard (to include all reduced fat products)
Class 12 - Open Class: blue cheeses, mascarpone, ricotta, continental cheese, cheese spreads, or any products that do not meet the requirements of the other classes; please provide a brief description of the cheese to aid in judging
Class 13 – Swiss Cheese – all types of Swiss cheese except for reduced fat Swiss; DOM to be stated on the entry form.
Class 14 – Farmstead – Limited to cheese and fermented milk products made with milk from bovine herds on the farm of where the products are produced; please provide a brief description of the cheese to aid in judging
Class 15 – Artisan - Total production of cheese and/or cultured product must not exceed 500,000 lb. per year. Products must be commercially available at the time of the contest. See rules for more details.
Class 16 - Cultured Dairy Products - Class to include all cultured products such as yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and sour cream or yogurt-based dips and spreads.
Class 17 – Butter – to include all types of butter
Class 18 - Granular Cheese for Manufacturing
Class 19 – Dairy Powders – to include all types of dairy powders. Type e.g. NFDM, WPC, WPI, etc. must be designated on the entry form.
You may enter multiple classes; multiple entries within a class must be submitted by separate cheese makers (except for classes 14 and 15). If more than one entry is submitted in a class by the same individual, it will be the right of the contest Judges to randomly select one entry before judging begins. Awards will recognize the Manufacturing Company as well as the registered Cheese Maker.
All awards from the 2026 Contest will be awarded at the Wine and Cheese Social Thursday evening August 13th. Second place entries will be displayed and consumed at the Wine and Cheese Social. Class champions will be auctioned off during the social with the money going to the IMPA Scholarship Fund. We want to encourage everyone to have fun and participate in the auction so let your suppliers know and encourage them to bid. Remaining cheese will be donated to a charity determined by the IMPA Board of Directors.
We hope this competition will serve not only as a measure of excellence for the area’s industry but also as an educational tool to recognize how your cheese and cultured products compare to other Northwestern processors.
Good Luck! We look forward to seeing you in Sun Valley, ID.
Intermountain Milk Processors Association Dairy Product Contest Committee Chair
