Image: via Your Organic Markets, click to enlarge.
Raw milk supporters have been writing to us in recent months asking about the lack of availability of Cleopatra’s bath milk in New South Wales.
Cleopatra’s is a raw bath milk product range produced in Queensland. It seems the raw dairy products that had been available on and off, for over a decade, have now again disappeared from NSW store shelves. The label in the image to the right reads:
“This product is sold for cosmetic skin treatment only.”
A raw milk supporter recently brought to our attention that amendments were made to NSW food regulation signed by Niall Blair, Minister for Primary Industries in July 2018.
Read the Food Amendments here.
The explanatory note said that the object of this regulation is two fold.
It required those who carry on a raw milk product manufacturing business or raw milk collection, delivery or transport business, to hold a license authorising the carrying on of the business.
The other is that it has now become an offence under the Food Act 2003 for any person to sell, deliver or supply any raw milk product unless it has been labeled in a manner that deters human consumption. The product must not ‘reasonably’ be mistaken as suitable for human consumption.
It is not certain what led to the making of these decisions, or if this product will be available again in NSW. We are not aware of any recent incidents that could possibly have led to these changes. Please contact the Minister if you have any questions. According to reports from raw milk supporters, the availability of raw goat’s milk, which is legal to produce and sell in NSW may also have been affected.
Please note that we don’t really know what is going on. We can’t answer your questions beyond what has already been said.
These may not be the only changes made regarding raw milk products this year. In August, raw milk cheese enthusiast Will Studd reported on Instagram that new strict import controls on all cheese made with unpasteurised milk were coming into effect in August, read more here.
ARMM still advocates for raw drinking milk from cows and other animals to be regulated fairly. It should be available to those who choose to buy it. Also see the article below:
