Not all dairy is made equal. Dairy lovers in Wisconsin know this best of all. But even among the most critical connoisseurs, Pratishtha Verma stands out. She has spent much of her career figuring out what makes a dairy product great and how they can be made even better.
That work has taken Verma into a unique role: judging dairy competitions. In both national and international competitions like the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, the World Championship Cheese contest and the World Dairy Expo–competitions that are frequently held right here in Wisconsin–she evaluates dairy powders for visual defects such as clumping, scorching, and black specks before tasting them for off-notes.
“People usually jokingly ask about what have you done wrong that you’ve been given this job to taste these products, but I love it. Really, I enjoy doing that,” said Verma. “I do these judging competitions because sensory and flavors and all the things really interest me, but it also helps me better at my job.”
For Verma, the sensory side of judging also helps her understand what is happening with the ingredients she works with. As a dairy ingredients and applications scientist at UW–Madison’s Center for Dairy Research, Verma works with dairy companies on troubleshooting and research projects. Manufacturers are developing increasingly sophisticated methods for producing and stabilizing protein ingredients, but processing can also change their flavor.
The versatility of dairy ingredients comes from the different functions they can serve, allowing them to be used in products far beyond the traditional dairy aisle. From dog bones to shampoo, Verma shared that dairy products are not just confined to the cooler.
Verma came to the United States from Punjab, India, in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in dairy science with a focus on dairy microbiology. After earning her degree, she spent several years in industry research and development, focusing on product development. She enjoyed the work but missed having more opportunities to investigate why products behaved the way they did. That was part of what drew her to UW–Madison.
Verma teaches hands-on labs and short courses designed around topics that are useful to the dairy industry, giving her another way to share what she has learned through her work.
“I’m exploring why things are the way they are, and how we can make it better,” she said.
Verma is currently preparing to present research on the glossiness of yogurt at the American Dairy Science Association’s annual meeting. The project, led by an undergraduate student and co-authored by Verma, uses a device developed to measure the glossiness while minimizing unwanted reflection.
Looking ahead, Verma hopes to take on a more independent role in mentoring and guiding students, and continue adapting short courses to the changing needs of the dairy industry.
Whether she is judging a powder, working with an industry client or with students on research, her work comes back to the same question: how can dairy products be made better?