In 1970, the blow-moulded disposable plastic milk bottle was introduced. In 1975, the new 600 ml glass bottle replaced the traditional pint bottle. By 1987, only about two per cent of milk was still being sold in glass bottles. Homogenisation was adopted for most fluid milk sold in Australia during the 1970's. The process of homogenisation breaks the larger fat globules in milk down into smaller ones, resulting in a uniform distribution of fat throughout the milk, preventing a cream-line.
Homogenisation produces a finer and more stable emulsion than that of milk which is non-homogenised.
Virtually all drinking milk is now homogenised, preventing the milk from separating and giving it a more uniform colour. The 1970's brought a number of new challenges for the industry. Dairy cattle and farmer numbers dropped significantly, and those farms remaining became larger but also more efficient. In 1970 Britain announced that they were to join the EEC, effectively eliminating Australia's main overseas export market. This forced the Australian dairy industry to re-examine both the local market and the need to establish overseas markets in Asia.