Cornell University's Department of Food Science has selected Crowley Foods of Albany as the processor of the highest quality milk in New York for 2006.

The selection is part of the New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program, based at Cornell and sponsored by the New York Milk Promotion Order. The analytical tests are run at Cornell.

Judging criteria included butterfat content and bacterial counts within the milk's sell-by date. The most critical attributes analyzed were product flavor and stability during shelf life.

Crowley Foods of Albany received a score of 94.4, while Crowley Foods of Binghamton came in second with a score of 90.6. Upstate Farms of Buffalo tied with Cornell Dairy for third place with a score of 88.8, according to Kathryn J. Boor, Cornell professor of food science, who runs the testing program.

Each year, random samples of whole, reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free milk are evaluated by the program. The state Milk Promotion Order is funded by revenues from dairy producers and is administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Nearly all commercial milk processors in the state participate.

Other dairies in the state's top 10 this year: Stewart's Processing Corp., Ballston Spa; Oak Tree Farm Dairy, East Northport; Lewis County Dairy Corp., Lowville; Midland Farms, Albany; Gumaer Farm, Stuyvesant Falls; and Wendt's Dairy (Niagara Milk Cooperative), Buffalo.

From July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, more than 400 milk samples were collected and nearly 4,000 individual tests were run to determine the winners. The milk was first examined when it was received and again 14 days later, near the sell-by date. Trained testers tasted each sample and gave it a score.