Metro North Hospital and Health service are overwhelmingly ordering and serving patients, visitors and staff with fresh milk, Acting Minister for Health Leeanne Enoch said of a recent contract to supply dairy products across all Metro North facilities, including Queensland's biggest hospital RBWH, to Lactalis Australia.
Lactalis Australia is a diary company that began with the opening of Pauls milk factory on the banks of the Brisbane River back in the 1930s. Their national head office is in South Brisbane.
"The Palaszczuk Government knows the importance of supporting local providers wherever possible," Minister Enoch said.
"Metro North hospitals treat more than a million patients each year and employs more than 19,000 staff. They provide thousands of patients and staff with dairy products each day across hospitals, community health centres, residential care centres, inpatient mental health services, and cafeterias.
"The successful contractor was the only tenderer able to supply the full range of full and low-fat products required including milk, cheese and yoghurt, to meet the dietary standards and varied requirements of patients.
"They're also the largest milk processer in Queensland and the biggest buyer of raw milk in Queensland.
"Almost all the milk provided to patients and staff will be fresh milk, with as much as possible from Queensland dairies. Where milk can't be sourced from Queensland, it's sourced from interstate, not overseas."
