An exciting, new relationship is projected to give Whitehall Specialties an extra boost as a leader in creating new cheese product flavors, styles, and types. Whitehall Specialties has combined talents with the Center for Dairy Research (DCDR) at the University of Wisconsin- Madison to accelerate its research and innovation efforts in specialty cheese. Whitehall Specialties is proud to be a member of the CDR Industry Team (CIT)!
“We benefit greatly from this relationship,” Steve Lutzke, Technical Sales Manager, Whitehall Specialties said. “We define a product, our process and overall logic. The CDR gives us the resources to develop and evaluate it.”
It’s a unique partnership that blends ideas with technology. “The CDR gives us a better view,” Lutzke said. “We can do even better on a project now because of the work they do for us.”
Dr. John Lucey, Director of CDR, said, “Companies come to use for project research and product development. Most of them don’t have the facilities we do. It can be a huge cost to start up production in a medium to large sized plant. We can make prototypes before they start making cheese in big batches. This helps them make sure the product will meet specs before they ramp up production.” He added, “Our mission is to support Wisconsin dairy companies by being a resource for training, product development and troubleshooting. In fact, some of the innovations we’ve helped specialty cheese companies develop have led to a more active development of new recipes. Specialty cheese makers have been very proactive in creating flavor varieties they were not thinking of before. ”
The CDR has grown from three staff members in 1986 to roughly 40 people today. “We’ve enjoyed a lot of change in 30 years,” Dr. Lucey explained. “Look at specialty cheeses. In the early 1980s, nobody bothered to research it. Now, 22% of Wisconsin cheese is specialty cheese and half of that specialty cheese in the US comes from Wisconsin.”
Numbers that prove the results of past work, but also point to a brighter future for Whitehall Specialties.
“When you get to know these people under Dr. Lucey’s direction and understand what they can do for you, you start to realized how far and how fast you can go,” Lutzke said.