Three Butters Won 2026 World Dairy Expo Honors Under $5
Three award-winning salted butters
The competition took place in Madison, Wisconsin, and is sponsored each year by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association. It assesses dairy products produced across North America, including butter, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream. Judges consider flavour, texture and aroma.
The contest received more than 1,200 entries from over 150 dairy companies, according to Derik Robinson, chief executive of High Desert Milk. “World Dairy Expo is the real deal because you’re competing against over 1,200 entries from more than 150 dairy companies across the country,” Robinson said. Butter judge Timon Zander said good butter is immediately apparent: “It’s right there in front of you. It’s the first thing you taste.”
Keller’s Creamery
Dairy Farmers of America, a farmer-owned national co-operative, was recognised for Keller’s Creamery Salted Butter. The product is made in Winnsboro, Texas, with 80% butterfat, approximately 17% moisture and 1.7% salt. It uses sweet cream and sells for $4.54 per pound.
Keller’s has produced butter since 1906. It began in the Philadelphia area and is sold there through ShopRite, The GIANT Company, ACME, Redner’s, Boyer’s, Weis and Karns, as well as through Safeway stores in Maryland. Jenny Mehlman, a senior director at DFA, attributed the product’s recognition to its taste, quality, tradition and simple ingredients. DFA also received an award for provolone and took all the places in the Open Class Butter category, with entries including Breakstone’s whipped butter, 82% unsalted European butter and salted butter containing 82% butterfat.
Know & Love
Winn-Dixie’s Know & Love Salted Butter contains cream and salt. It has at least 80% milk fat, moisture of 16.05% to 17.95% and salt of 1.35% to 1.95%. The butter is made with sweet cream and is priced at $4.99 per pound at Winn-Dixie stores.
Brooke Rice, chief merchandising officer of The Winn-Dixie Company, said the product provides a fresh, sweet-cream flavour, a smooth texture and consistent results in cooking and baking. Rice described the World Dairy Expo championship as a respected industry competition because products are judged on their own merits rather than brand recognition, promotion or packaging. Winn-Dixie also received recognition for plain cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese spread and goat-cheese crumbles.
High Desert Milk
High Desert Milk is based in Burley, Idaho, and is owned by six third-generation dairy farmers. Its Salted Sweet Cream Butter contains more than 80% butterfat, less than 18% moisture and between 1.5% and 1.9% salt. The product is certified kosher and halal, and the co-operative uses milk from cows not treated with rBST.
The company says its supplying dairies are located within 45 miles of the plant. Robinson said this arrangement allows the co-operative to manage the process from farm to consumer. The butter is sold fresh rather than frozen and costs about $3.60 per pound at selected southern Idaho retailers, including Lee’s Grocers, most Ridley’s stores and some Walmart outlets. High Desert Milk also sells it by the case for $64.95. The co-operative received additional awards for cream cheese, low-heat nonfat dry milk, buttermilk powder and milk-protein concentrate.
