Ardrahan Farm granted licence to produce sleep-inducing milk

A FARM in Kanturk has been awarded an exclusive licence for Ireland to produce sleep-inducing milk.

The 30-year old farmer is producing a melatonin-rich milk, Ardrahan Lullaby, on a holding that also produces the award-winning Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese, developed by his mother, Mary Burns.

He is delighted Ardrahan Farm has obtained the exclusive licence for Ireland from the University of Kuopio in Finland for Ireland to produce Lullaby Milk.

That is where the definitive scientific research was done to validate the sleep-inducing properties of milk produced before daybreak.

A research team in the university was led by Dr Maija Valtonen, who conducted studies into the benefits of melatonin-rich milk over a number of years.

Dr Valtonen recently visited Ardrahan Farm to ensure its Lullaby Milk was being produced in accordance with her studies and to approve the management of the dairy herd.

Gerald Burns, who holds a BSc from Aberystwth University in Wales, said the cows are milked in the morning before daylight.

The milk is then piped through a plate cooler bringing the temperature down to four degrees.

It then flows through to the pasteuriser. It is pastuerised for four seconds at 73 degrees. It is then cooled to four degrees and bottled.

“We test the milk regularly to ensure we are always producing the highest quality milk that meets everyone’s expectations.

“It is created in the dark, as the animal sleeps, and has naturally higher levels of melatonin,” he said.

Gerard produces 3,000 litres of Ardrahan Lullaby Milk each week, but has the capacity to produce much higher volumes in the future.

Ardrahan Lullaby Milk is listed with the main supermarket multiples.