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Hilmar Cheese & Whey Protein Awarded Medals

Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. was awarded top honors at the CheeseCon banquet celebrating the United States Championship Cheese Contest® on April 17, 2025.

The contest is hosted biennially by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. More than 2,400 samples of cheese, butter, cultured products and dry dairy ingredients were evaluated this year with first, second and third awards presented in each category.

“Hilmar is honored to have received four awards in three categories,” shared Kyle Jensen, vice president global sales and marketing. “We are especially excited to share the acceptance of our first cheese award. This is a true testament to the dedication and commitment of our teams across the organization to produce high quality, innovative products.”

Hilmar TruSmoke® Hickory Smoked Cheddar took third place in the Open Class: Smoked Hard Cheeses category. Hilmar TruSmoke natural cheeses are slowly smoked utilizing Hilmar’s patented technology that integrates the smoke into the curd during the manufacturing process, unlike other smoked cheeses. Cheddar is one of four flavors available in the TruSmoke product line.

Hilmar PROfraction™ Beta received second place in the Whey Protein Isolate 90, Instantized category. PROfraction Beta is a lactose-free, instantized WPI that is rich in amino acids and aids in muscle synthesis. It is readily dispersible and has a neutral flavor profile, making it an ideal ingredient for powdered beverages and mixes.

Hilmar 8000 took both second and third place in the Whey Protein Concentrate 80 category. Hilmar 8000 is a highly functional 80% whey protein concentrate ideal for a variety of food and nutritional applications for basic fortification. It is a good source of high-quality protein to improve performance and overall health and well-being.

Ben Smith, cheese product manager; Lynn Ilano, cheese technologist; Muthu Ramanathan, ingredients technical manager; Chantelle Coelho, lead cheese technologist; and Ashley Cloward, associate cheese technologist proudly accepted the awards on behalf of the Hilmar team.

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