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Dairy products competition benefits students, industry, consumers

Food science researchers at the University of Minnesota have won this year’s dairy checkoff New Product Competition. 

Dr. Rohit Kapoor is the Vice President of Product Research at Dairy Management, Inc., dairy’s checkoff.  He tells Brownfield DMI and the industry have a different focus for the contest each year. “This year, as you know, consumers are seeking foods that will contribute towards their health and wellness, whether it’s mental health, physical health, immunity, etc., and that is what drove this year’s competition.”

The winning Minnesota team developed Yay-tost, a creamy Norwegian-style, whey-based brown cheese spread that is a good source of protein and calcium and contains 3 grams of dietary fiber.

Kapoor is also a past winner of the competition as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota nearly twenty years ago. “It is a great way for college students who are majoring in food science to get into dairy. You know, in fact, this competition over the years has inspired let’s say 500 dairy students going back the last decade.”

Kapoor says the competition is highly regarded by the dairy foods industry, and when he was interviewing for his first job, the employer’s questions were all about his efforts in the New Product Competition.

The University of Minnesota team was awarded $10,000 and was recognized during the recent American Dairy Science Association’s annual meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Audio: Dr. Rohit Kapoor discusses the New Product Competition with Brownfield’s Larry Lee