“We know we can always call CDR to talk cheese.”
With more than 200 combined years of experience, CDR’s Cheese Industry and Applications Staff work to build a sustainable competitive advantage for the domestic cheese industry through leadership in innovative strategic research, technology, product development, outreach, and continuing education.
From Cheddar to Sweet Swiss, Queso Fresco to Juustoleipä, bloomy to surface ripened cheeses, CDR’s licensed cheesemakers and dairy researchers serve as a technical resource in the development, troubleshooting, and utilization of cheese products.
Our staff provides a wide array of services to the cheese industry. It may be as simple as providing an expert opinion to a routine question, or it may involve the need to carry out cheesemaking trials. Our staff interact with our partners on a daily basis to determine their goals and objectives when we set-up, design, and carry out cheese trials. Contracted trials may involve testing ingredients, developing new cheeses, optimizing flavor and performance in existing cheeses, or simply finding answers to your questions. We also provide troubleshooting assistance for U.S. companies who are looking for expert assistance in regards to their product defects or shortcomings.
Our staff may be able to assist you in other areas. We have a full application kitchen with cooking options similar to restaurants large and small. This allows us to evaluate a how cheese tastes and functions in various food applications. Additionally, we have analysts who can conduct compositional, chemical, microbiological and functional testing. In addition to basic compositional, chemical and microbiological testing we offer functionality testing through our applications kitchen as well as cheese grading, screening and descriptive analysis through our sensory program. Whether you are looking to optimize flavor and performance or simply find an answer to a burning question, the CDR cheese group is available to help.
What do you get when you take the knowledge and skill of Wisconsin cheesemakers and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and combine it with high-quality Guernsey milk from Hoard’s Dairyman Farm? The answer is some really great, unique cheese.
Read MoreHow to get a Wisconsin Cheesemaker License Infographic
Visit the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to learn how to earn a Wisconsin Cheese, Butter or Grader license.
Have a question? View the answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) that CDR's Cheese staff receive.
Watch cheesemaking videos, view cheese regulations, or check out our cheesemaking flash cards.
Consumers have shown a greater interest in understanding where their food comes from and how it is manufactured. To aid in consumer education efforts, CDR has created a visual illustrating the path cheese typically takes as it moves from Farm to Fork.
