Cornell University's Department of Food Science has selected Wendt's Dairy (Niagara Milk Cooperative) of Buffalo as the producer of the highest quality milk in New York state for 2001.

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

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

Wendt's Dairy received a score of 87.5, while Upstate Farms of Rochester came in second place with a score of 86.2. Crowley Foods of Binghamton came in third with a score of 83.4, according to Kathryn J. Boor, Cornell associate 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 New York State Milk Promotion Order is funded by revenues collected by the state from dairy producers. It is administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Nearly all commercial milk processors in the state participate.

Last year, Upstate Farms won first place, Crowley Foods of Albany earned second place and Crowley Foods of Binghamton took third place.

Other dairies in the state's top 10 this year: Stewart's Dairy, Saratoga Springs; Crowley Foods of Albany; Garelick Farms, Rensselaer; Parmalat/Sunnydale Farms, Brooklyn; Byrne Dairy, Syracuse; Cornell Dairy, Ithaca; and Upstate Farms, Buffalo.

From July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001, more than 500 milk samples were collected and nearly 6,000 individual tests were run to determine the winners. The milk was first examined when it was received and again 14 days later, near the end of the sell-by date. Trained testers tasted each sample and gave it a score.