Cornell's New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program has named Byrne Dairy of Syracuse the 2011 "Best Milk" Processor. Byrne scored a perfect 100 in the testing. Upstate Niagara Cooperative of Rochester took a close second place with a near-perfect score of 99.4.

The awards were announced Aug. 29 at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

From July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, more than 150 milk samples were collected and nearly 2,200 individual tests were run to determine the winners. The milk samples were examined when they were received and again 14 days later, near the end of the sell-by date. Microbiological and chemical tests were performed, and trained sensory panelists tasted each sample and scored it for flavor and odor. Cornell food science experts ran the analytical tests, judging such criteria as butterfat content and post-pasteurization bacteria counts within the milk's sell-by date.

The selection of the best milk in the state is part of New York State's Milk Quality Improvement Program, which is sponsored by the New York Milk Promotion Order. The milk promotion order is funded by revenue collected by the state from dairy producers and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Nearly all commercial-milk processors in the state participate.

The milk quality program began in 1972, and the awards program began in 1997. The perfect score of 100 has been awarded only three times: Wendt's Dairy of Niagara Falls in 2004, Stewart's Shops of Saratoga Springs in 2007 and Byrne Dairy this year. While not eligible for state fair awards, Cornell's dairy plant earned a top score of 100 twice, in 2005 and 2009. Cornell treated its own plant the same as other milk-producing facilities in regard to sampling and testing.