2003-04-24
BUTTER RATED BEST

It's official - butter is best. Parmalat's Bonnita Choice Butter was crowned Dairy Product of the Year at the National Dairy Awards dinner on Wednesday evening. This fine product also clinched a Qualité Award for it's superior quality.

The exceptional quality of Bonnita's Choice Butter can be attributed to Parmalat's dedicated butter-makers who draw on 40 years' experience and only use the freshest cream supplied to Parmalat daily. According to Kobus Mulder, business manager: international of Parmalat SA, this feat highlights Parmalat's intensified focus on butter in order to deliver quality and variety to the consumer.

The National Dairy Championships, presented by Agri-Expo each year, boasts a 25% growth in entries and 13 new participants this year. Panels of judges from the dairy industry adjudicated the record 470 products in six categories - butter; cheese; cottage cheese; cultured and flavoured milk; ice cream/frozen dessert and yoghurt. Each entry was rated blind - according to the international 20 point system and guidelines of the South African Society of Dairy Technology - on appearance, colour, build and texture.

Fifty products were crowned SA Champions whilst 16 superior dairy products, which scored a pre-determined high point, were honoured with Qualité Awards.

"The Dairy Standards Agency analysed all the SA Champions for the first time this year to ensure that the products comply to legal standards. All the Qualité winners will be examined quarterly in order to ensure consumers of unwavering quality," says Johan Ehlers, Agri-Expo's general manager.

Clover performed remarkable this year, seizing six Qualité Awards and eight SA Champions. Their Gouda, matured Cheddar, Pizza-Mozzarella cheese, feta cheese with black pepper, Mascarpone and Danone Clover's creamed smooth cottage cheese garnered Qualité Awards.

Parmalat clinched three Qualité Awards and 12 championship trophies. In addition to the Bonnita Choice Butter, Parmalat Cheddar and Royalty Vanilla ice cream also reaped Qualité Awards.

Lancewood is hot on Parmalat's heels with three Qualité Awards and 11 SA Champions. Three of the Garden Route-based producer's magnificent cottage cheeses - low fat chunky, Coronation Chicken and fat-free smooth cottage cheese with peppadews - garnered Qualité Awards.

Fairview's Blue Rock was named SA Champion blue veined cheese and walked off with a coveted Qualité Award.

Other champion dairy products that also boast Qualité Awards are Marcel's Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt Granadilla Pulp frozen yoghurt dessert, Fairfield Dairy's strawberry/peach & granadilla fat-free flavoured yoghurt and The Dairy Connection's full cream unflavoured yoghurt.

Klein River Cheese near Stanford was crowned 2003 Farm Cheesemaker of the Year at the gala-awards dinner.

All the Qualité winners - that represent the cream of the local dairy industry - will be clearly distinguished by black and gold Qualité labels which will be displayed on the winning products for the next year.

Cheese enthusiasts will have the opportunity to taste the newly-crowned champion cheeses and Qualité winners at the SA Cheese Festival - also presented by Agri-Expo - at Bien Donné from 25 to 28 April.

A pocket-size results booklet - with all the 2003 SA dairy champions and Qualité winners - may be ordered from Agri-Expo at tel (021) 975 4440/1/2/3, fax (021) 975 4446 e-mail [email protected]. The full results are also listed on the SA Cheese Festival website at www.cheesefestival.co.za .