ensure a healthier product.

Amendments to the Public Health (Milk and Dairyfarm) Regulations will decrease the amount of natural contaminants allowed in a millilitre of milk from 1,500,000 to 750,000.

The Somatic Cell Count represents the number of white blood cells in milk.

White blood cells or leucocytes are formed to combat infection. Generally cows with high white blood cell counts are less healthy than those with low counts.

Government milk inspector Andrew Kennedy said the changes were long overdue and would bring Bermuda in line with regulations in the US, Canada and Europe.

Mr. Kennedy said that in Canada and Europe, the allowable white blood cell count is a low 500,000 per millilitre of milk and the US, which is currently higher, is moving toward the same figure.

Dairy farmer Richard Bascome welcomed the changes.

"It won't affect us at all -- they are just upping the standards to conform with the US,'' he said.

Mr. Kennedy said most local dairy farmers already fall within the limits set by the new regulations. He also contended that the new levels would be easy for local farmers to reach by better herd management.

"If they manage their herds better, it should be easy for them to meet the regulations,'' he said.

Maintaining clean cows was the single largest factor Mr. Kennedy cited as preventing high white blood cell counts in the animals. He said that farmers would have to become more adept at identifying infected animals and implementing measures to reduce transmission between them.