Hilmar® Earns Nine Medals

At Prestigious 2026 United States Championship Cheese Contest

Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. proudly earned nine medals at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest® Awards Banquet, including gold medals in both cheese and whey protein categories — a first in the company’s history. The awards were presented April 16, 2026, during CheeseExpo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The nine medals included three for cheese and six for whey protein ingredients, recognizing Hilmar’s commitment to quality across its diverse portfolio.

“We are honored to see the dedication of our teams recognized on a global stage,” said Greg Schlafer, President and CEO of Hilmar. “Earning top honors in both cheese and whey protein reflects the strength of our end-to-end capabilities, from our people and plants to our partnerships with customers and producers. These awards validate our focus on consistent quality, technical expertise, and innovative dairy solutions that help our customers succeed in the marketplace.”

Hilmar swept the Pepper Flavored Monterey Jack, Mild Heat category, earning gold, silver and bronze for our Pepper Jack cheese produced in Dalhart, Texas. The award-winning cheese features jalapeño pepper pieces evenly distributed throughout, delivering balanced heat and consistent flavor in every bite.

In addition to its award-winning cheese, Hilmar’s whey protein portfolio earned outstanding recognition across multiple categories.

PROfunction™ Adapt won gold and bronze medals in the Whey Protein Isolate 90 category. This versatile protein supports a range of applications and is lactose-free, low in fat, acid stable and heat stable during pasteurization.

PROfraction™ Beta was awarded gold in the Whey Protein Isolate, Instantized category. It is lactose-free with lower fat and carbohydrates. Agglomerated and instantized, PROfraction Beta is well-suited for powdered beverages and mixes.

Hilmar 9020 earned silver and bronze medals in the Whey Protein Isolate, Acidified category. Known for superior dispersibility and reduced foaming, Hilmar 9020 performs well in RTM applications, while its excellent heat and acid stability also make it an ideal choice for RTD beverages. It remains clear in solution, making it suitable for clear beverages, gels and protein waters.

Hilmar 8010 won a silver medal in the Whey Protein Concentrate 80, Instantized category. Instantized with soy lecithin, Hilmar 8010 disperses quickly in cold water and offers strong solubility and acid stability for powdered dry mix applications.

The World Championship Cheese Contest® is recognized as the world’s premier technical competition for cheese, whey protein, butter and yogurt. Hosted biennially by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1957, the contest brings together expert judges from around the globe to evaluate entries using a stringent 100-point scale. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three entries in each class.

Kevin Hubbard, Hilmar Site Director in Dalhart, proudly accepted the award on behalf of the Hilmar team and is pictured with Derek Snider, Taylor Peterson, Kalyan Manchala and Sterling Crawford. These awards reflect Hilmar’s ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and delivering trusted dairy ingredients and cheeses to customers worldwide.