Yakult Explained

Yakult
Type:Drink
Manufacturer:Yakult Honsha
Distributor:Yakult Honsha
Origin:Japan
Introduced:1935
Colour:Light peach
Ingredients:Ingredients

is a Japanese sweetened probiotic milk beverage fermented with the bacteria strain Lacticaseibacillus casei Shirota. It is sold by Yakult Honsha, based in Tokyo. The name "Yakult" was coined from jahurto, an Esperanto word meaning "yogurt".

Ingredients

Yakult's ingredients are water, skimmed milk, glucose-fructose syrup, sucrose, natural flavors (citrus), and live Lacticaseibacillus casei Shirota bacteria.[1] The strain was originally classified as being Lactobacillus casei.

Yakult is prepared by adding glucose to skimmed 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 and lactic acid are added.

Health claims

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 improve bowel movements for people who tend to be constipated and might help maintain a healthy population of gut flora.[2]

In 2010, a European 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 the common cold), finding the claim not supported by the evidence.[3]

In 2013, the UK Advertising 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.[4]

Marketing history

Yakult was invented in 1935 in Japan by Minoru Shirota, who helped found the company Yakult Honsha for the purpose of commercializing it.[5] Although Yakult is sold in Japan in supermarkets and convenience stores, it is also sold door to door in Japan, Asia and in Latin America in convenience stores.[6]

History

Relationship with Danone

In February 2018, it was reported that Danone planned to sell US$1.9 billion of its Yakult investment, reducing its stake from 21% to 7%.[15] [16] The plan was followed by a decline in Yakult's share value.[17] Danone had first bought shares in Yakult in April 2000. The sale was completed in March 2018.[18]

In mass media

In September 2018, it was reported that the appearance of unlabelled Yakult bottles in the 2018 film To 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.[19] [20]

In January 2020, professional sumo wrestler Takakeishō Takanobu appeared in a television commercial advertising Yakult 1000.[21] [22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Yakult product information and nutrition facts . 19 December 2015 . Yakult U.S.A. Inc. . 2023-01-31 . 7 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180907100519/http://www.yakultusa.com/products/yakult/ . live .
  2. Web site: 10 November 2006 . Assessment Report: Yakult . Netherlands Nutrition Centre . 7 September 2018 . 8 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908092823/https://www.vmt.nl/Onderwerpoverzicht/Toezicht/~/media/9AD5B0679AB150B65EC80129624475DC.ashx . dead .
  3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies . October 2010 . Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota and maintenance of the upper respiratory tract defence against pathogens by maintaining immune defences pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) N . EFSA Journal . 8 . 10 . 1860 . 10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1860 . Lay summary: News: Wallop . Harry . 20 October 2010 . Probiotic drinks do not aid health, Europe says . The Telegraph . live . subscription . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8074182/Probiotic-drinks-do-not-aid-health-Europe-says.html . 12 January 2022.
  4. Web site: ASA Adjudication on Yakult UK Ltd . Advertising Standards Authority . 8 September 2018 . 15 May 2013 . 8 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202701/https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/yakult-uk-ltd-a13-220644.html . live .
  5. Book: Malago. Joshua J.. Koninkx. Jos. F. J. G.. Marinsek-Logar. R.. Probiotic Bacteria and Enteric Infections Cytoprotection by Probiotic Bacteria. 2011. Springer Science & Business Media. Dordrecht. 978-9-4007-0386-5. 6. https://books.google.com/books?id=Nv8xBMWOe4EC&pg=PA6. Chapter 1: Probiotics: From the Ancient Wisdom to the Actual Therapeutical and Neutraceutical Perspective. Caramia. Giuseppe. Silvi. Stefania. 8 September 2018. 17 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230317110450/https://books.google.com/books?id=Nv8xBMWOe4EC&pg=PA6. live.
  6. Web site: Yakult Probiotic Drink: Bottled Gut Health Magic. Prosperopedia.com. 8 March 2021 .
  7. Web site: The Yakult story: Japanese health drink that conquered world with beneficial bacteria and beaming ladies . Ryall . Julian . 11 November 2018 . . 13 November 2019 . 13 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191113174616/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2018/11/11/the-yakult-story-japanese-health-drink-that-conquered-world-with-beneficial-bacteria-and-beaming-lad/ . live .
  8. Web site: Origem - Yakult Brasil. 6 May 2022. 20 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191020043317/http://www.yakult.com.br/empresa/origem/. live.
  9. Web site: Hong Kong Yakult Co Ltd . . 15 December 2019 . 17 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230317110501/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyakulthk%2Fabout%2F . live .
  10. Web site: 30 September 2018 . 야쿠르트 - 윤덕병 . 10 December 2021 . 10 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211210080106/https://www.ynamnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=19336 . live .
  11. News: Yakult: cuatro décadas de arraigo en Puebla. El Universal Puebla. Ángeles. Bretón. 21 May 2022. 17 January 2023. es. 17 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230117183208/https://www.eluniversalpuebla.com.mx/estado/yakult-cuatro-decadas-de-arraigo-en-puebla. live.
  12. News: Cocozza . Paula . The cult of Yakult: the surprising reason the world's gone wild for the probiotic drink . 8 September 2018 . The Guardian . 5 September 2018 . 7 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180907230019/https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2018/sep/05/the-cult-of-yakult-the-surprising-reason-the-worlds-gone-wild-for-the-probiotic-drink . live .
  13. Web site: FAQ .
  14. News: Yakult opens probiotic drink factory in California. 20 May 2014. 12 October 2023 .
  15. News: Kar-Gupta . Sudip . Vidalon . Dominique . Danone to sell $1.9 billion Yakult stake in quest to boost shareholder returns . 8 September 2018 . Reuters . 14 February 2018 . 8 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202603/https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-danone-yakult/danone-to-sell-1-9-billion-yakult-stake-in-quest-to-boost-shareholder-returns-idUKKCN1FY0OR . live .
  16. News: Danone to Sell Stake in Japan's Yakult for $1.9 Billion . 8 September 2018 . Bloomberg . 14 February 2018 . 9 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180909000159/http://fortune.com/2018/02/14/danone-sells-stake-yakult/ . live .
  17. News: Gretler . Corinne . Yakult Declines After Danone's $1.9 Billion Share Sale Plan . 8 September 2018 . Bloomberg . 14 February 2018 . 5 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180905220419/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-14/danone-to-sell-stake-in-japan-s-yakult-for-about-1-8-billion . live .
  18. News: Danone completes 1.3bn euro sale of its 14% stake in Yakult . 8 September 2018 . FoodBev Media . 28 March 2018 . 8 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202544/https://www.foodbev.com/news/danone-completes-1-3bn-euro-sale-of-its-14-stake-in-yakult/ . live .
  19. News: Petter . Olivia . 4 September 2018 . Yakult shares increase following release of Netflix's 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' . The Independent . live . subscription . 8 September 2018 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/yakult-to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-netflix-sales-increase-rom-com-a8521886.html . 7 May 2022.
  20. News: Balji . Divya . Netflix Teen Comedy Helps Yakult Yogurt Drink Fly Off Shelves . 8 September 2018 . BloombergQuint . 3 September 2018 . 8 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202540/https://www.bloombergquint.com/pursuits/2018/09/03/netflix-teen-comedy-seen-boosting-sales-for-this-japanese-stock#gs.9OnJXz0 . live .
  21. Web site: 貴景勝「熱いお風呂ダメ」ダチョウ倶楽部の勧誘断る - 大相撲 : 日刊スポーツ. 19 December 2019. Nikkan Sports. 11 November 2023.
  22. Web site: 貴景勝 関がテレビＣＭ初出演！！「Ｙａｋｕｌｔ（ヤクルト）１０００」の新ＣＭがスタート！！. 17 January 2020. Yakult Honsha. 11 November 2023. ja.

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