TWIN FALLS, ID – May 14, 2008 – Glanbia Foods Inc.’s cheese making facility in Twin Falls, Idaho is once again on the international map for producing some of best cheeses in the world.  Glanbia, the largest cheddar cheese manufacturer in the US, earned two gold and two silver medals in the prestigious 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest held recently in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the largest international cheese competition in the world.

Out of 1,941 entries representing 19 countries, Glanbia was awarded gold medals for Colby and Pepper Jack Cheese and silver medals for Bandaged Sharp Cheddar and flavored Monterey Jack Cheese.  In addition, Glanbia’s joint venture plant, Southwest Cheese in Clovis, New Mexico, won a gold and bronze medal in the Monterey Jack Cheese class.

“This contest is the world’s largest competition to identify the most technically perfect cheeses,” said Jeff Williams, president and chief executive officer of Glanbia Foods.  “Our Twin Falls plant consistently makes some of the best cheeses in the world so this recognition is a compliment to our employees and our 100+ local milk suppliers.  “In addition to our Twin Falls plant’s showing, we are equally proud of our Southwest Cheese joint venture plant’s performance as it garnered a gold and a bronze medal in its first year of participation in this prestigious contest. This is a tremendous honor for Glanbia Foods and for our communities” he said.

The World Cheese Championship Contest, the crème de la crème of universal cheese competitions, was held in March in Madison, Wisconsin.  Cheese entries were judged by invited judges from all over the world.

Glanbia’s Twin Falls plant won against competition from the world’s top producing cheese nations including, Australia, New Zealand, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, and France.

At a recent auction selling the winning cheeses from the Championship Contest, Glanbia’s 41-pound block of Monterey Jack cheese sold for $2,050 and its 43-pound blocks of both Colby and Pepper Jack cheese sold for a total of $4,300.  The proceeds of this auction go to dairy scholarships.

The medals will be displayed at Glanbia’s corporate office in Twin Falls. 

            Glanbia Foods is one of the fastest growing and most successful dairy companies in the United States and is the largest cheddar cheese manufacturer in the US.  Between Glanbia and its joint venture Southwest Cheese, the company processes approximately 20 million pounds of milk everyday into cheese and whey products from three world-class cheese manufacturing and whey processing facilities in Southern Idaho and Eastern New Mexico. This results in over 700 million pounds of cheese and 125 million pounds of dairy ingredients annually.

Its cheese products include cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, Colby, Colby jack low-fat cheddar, low-fat Monterey jack, queso quesadilla for retail and food service sectors, and cheddar and barrel cheddar for processed cheese customers and various organic varieties.  Glanbia employs over 600 people in Southern Idaho.