 | |
 A single serving of Yakult | |
| Type | Drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Yakult Honsha |
| Distributor | Yakult Honsha |
| Origin | Japan |
| Introduced | 1935 |
| Colour | Light peach |
| Ingredients | Water, skimmed milk, glucose-fructose syrup, sucrose, citrus, liveLacticaseibacillus casei Shirota |
Yakult (ヤクルト,Yakuruto) is a Japanese sweetenedprobiotic milk beveragefermented with thebacteria strainLacticaseibacillus casei Shirota. It is sold byYakult Honsha based inTokyo. The name "Yakult" was coined fromjahurto, anEsperanto word meaning "yogurt".[1]
Yakult's ingredients are water, skimmed milk,glucose-fructose syrup, sucrose,natural flavours (citrus), and liveLacticaseibacillus casei Shirota bacteria.[2][3] The strain was originally classified as beingLactobacillus casei.[2]
Yakult is prepared by addingglucose toskimmed milk and heating the mixture at 90 to 95 °C for about 30 minutes. After letting it cool down to 45 °C, the mixture is inoculated with the lactobacillus and incubated for 6 to 7 days at 37 to 38 °C. After fermentation, water,sugar,gums, andlactic acid are added.[4]
In 2006, a panel appointed by the Netherlands Nutrition Center (Voedingscentrum) to evaluate a marketing request by Yakult found sufficient evidence to justify claims that drinking at least one bottle of Yakult per day might help improvebowel movements for people who tend to beconstipated and might help maintain a healthy population ofgut flora.[5]
In 2010, aEuropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel denied a request by the company to market Yakult as defending the upper respiratory tract against pathogens (in other words, protection against diseases like thecommon cold), finding the claim not supported by the evidence.[2]
In 2013, the UKAdvertising Standards Authority disallowed an advertisement for Yakult in response to a complaint. It found that while there was sufficient evidence for the claim that "significant numbers of viable [Lactobacillus] survived transit to the gut [after consumption of Yakult]", the advertisement had made claims of general health benefits without providing a specific, referenced claim, as required.[6]
Yakult was invented in 1935 in Japan byMinoru Shirota, who helped found the companyYakult Honsha for the purpose of commercializing it.[7] Although Yakult is sold in Japan in supermarkets and convenience stores, it is also sold door-to-door in Japan, Asia, and Latin America in convenience stores.[8]
In 1930, scientistMinoru Shirota strengthened and cultured theLactobacillus casei Shirota strain.[9] Five years later, in 1935, Yakult began production in Japan.[9] The company continued to expand, and in 1955,Yakult Honsha was established.
In 1963, Yakult introduced a home delivery service, employing "Yakult ladies" to distribute the product directly to consumers.[9] The following year, Yakult expanded internationally, beginning sales inTaiwan.[9] In 1968, the company opened its first factory outside Japan inSão Bernardo do Campo, Brazil.[10] This international growth continued in 1969 with the establishment of the Hong Kong Yakult Co Ltd[11] and the founding ofKorea Yakult in South Korea.[12]
By 1981, Yakult had entered the Mexican market, opening a factory in the city ofIxtapaluca under the direction ofCarlos Kasuga.[13] Further expansion took place in 1994, with the product becoming available in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States.[1]
In 2004, Yakult launched sales in New Zealand through its Australian operations. That same year, Yakult LIGHT was introduced in Australia, offering a lower-sugar alternative. In 2017, the company reformulated Yakult LIGHT to further reduce sugar and energy content, replacing sugar withStevia.[14]
In 2014, the company opened its first manufacturing facility in the United States, located inFountain Valley, California.[15]
In February 2018, it was reported thatDanone planned to sell US$1.9 billion of its Yakult investment, reducing its stake from 21% to 7%.[16][17] The plan was followed by a decline in Yakult's share value.[18] Danone had first bought shares in Yakult in April 2000.[18] The sale was completed in March 2018.[19]
In September 2018, it was reported that the appearance of unlabelled Yakult bottles in the 2018 filmTo All the Boys I've Loved Before led to a rise in the drink's sales that coincided with a 2.8% increase in share price following the film's release on 17 August.[20][21]
In January 2020, professionalsumo wrestlerTakakeishō Takanobu appeared in a television commercial advertising Yakult 1000.[22][23]
Lay summary:Wallop, Harry (20 October 2010)."Probiotic drinks do not aid health, Europe says".The Telegraph.Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
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