EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY LEGISLATION

AMENDMENTS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH (DAIRY) REGULATIONS

No. 20 of 1978

	The Minister of State for Health has made Regulations under the Public Health Ordinance 1928 to amend the Public Health (Dairy) Regulations.

	The amending Regulations provide for
•	revised standards for raw, pasteurized and skim milk;
•	revised standards for cream and cream products, such as thickened cream, devonshire cream and whipped cream;
•	revised container labelling requirements for pasteurized milk, skim milk and the various kinds of cream;
•	the introduction of labelling requirements for low fat milk and flavoured milk containers;
•	the application to cream products (such as cream mixture, thickened cream, prepared cream and reconstituted cream) of the regulations relating to buildings and equipment used and operated by dairymen, milk wholesalers, retailers and vendors; and
•	the application to cream products of the regulations relating to the production, preparation and distribution of milk and cream.

	The standards with which the various types of milk and cream must comply regulate such matters as the minimum allowable percentage of milk fat and milk solids other than milk fat, the maximum permitted level of penicillin per millilitre, the maximum colony, coliform and thermoduric bacteria count, and the methods of pasteurization.
	The Regulations also amend the Public Health (Dairy) Regulations by omitting all references to the “Commissioner” and substituting the “Chairman” as a consequence of the gazettal of the Health Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 1978 which abolished the position of Commissioner of the Capital Territory Health Commission and created the position of Chairman.

	The amending Regulations have been agreed to by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly without amendment.