Yakult: Difference between revisions
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Yakult opened a factory in [[Fountain Valley, California]] in the [[United States]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mueller|first=Mark|title=Yakult To Build Fountain Valley Plant for U.S. Expansion|journal=[[Orange County Business Journal]]|date=June 28, 2010|volume=33|issue=26|pages=1, 23|url=http://www.ocbj.com/news/2010/jun/27/yakult-build-fountain-valley-plant-us-expansion/}}</ref> Yakult is manufactured and sold in India under a 50:50 joint-venture with [[Danone#India|Danone]].<ref name="yakultindia">{{cite news|title=Yakult Danone: Spreading far and wide |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/yakult-danone-spreading-far-and-wide-112052100043_1.html |first=Saumya |last=Prakash |date=21 May 2012|work=[[Business Standard]]|accessdate=Jan 7, 2017}}</ref> For over a decade [[Danone]] owned 21 percent of Yakult Honsha shares, but in 2018 Danone announced it would reduce its holdings in Yakult to 7 percent, while still remaining the largest Yakult Honsha shareholder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-14/danone-to-sell-stake-in-japan-s-yakult-for-about-1-8-billion|title=Yakult Declines After Danone's $1.8 Billion Share Sale Plan|last=Gretler|first=Corinne|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=September 5, 2018}}</ref> |
Yakult opened a factory in [[Fountain Valley, California]] in the [[United States]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mueller|first=Mark|title=Yakult To Build Fountain Valley Plant for U.S. Expansion|journal=[[Orange County Business Journal]]|date=June 28, 2010|volume=33|issue=26|pages=1, 23|url=http://www.ocbj.com/news/2010/jun/27/yakult-build-fountain-valley-plant-us-expansion/}}</ref> Yakult is manufactured and sold in India under a 50:50 joint-venture with [[Danone#India|Danone]].<ref name="yakultindia">{{cite news|title=Yakult Danone: Spreading far and wide |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/yakult-danone-spreading-far-and-wide-112052100043_1.html |first=Saumya |last=Prakash |date=21 May 2012|work=[[Business Standard]]|accessdate=Jan 7, 2017}}</ref> For over a decade [[Danone]] owned 21 percent of Yakult Honsha shares, but in 2018 Danone announced it would reduce its holdings in Yakult to 7 percent, while still remaining the largest Yakult Honsha shareholder.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-14/danone-to-sell-stake-in-japan-s-yakult-for-about-1-8-billion|title=Yakult Declines After Danone's $1.8 Billion Share Sale Plan|last=Gretler|first=Corinne|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=September 5, 2018}}</ref> |
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==Nutritional value== |
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Standard Yakult (excludes variations such as in Yakult Light) contains:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yakult.com.au/health01.htm |title=Yakult Australia – Nutritional Information |accessdate=2007-01-16 |work= }}</ref> |
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*[[Sugar]] ([[sucrose]], [[dextrose]]) |
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*Skimmed [[milk powder]] |
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*Flavours |
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*Live ''Lactobacillus casei'' Shirota strain, 6.5 billion per 65 ml bottle (concentration of 10<sup>8</sup> CFU/mL) |
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*Water |
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Standard Yakult contains 14g of sugar for every 100g, but comes in 65 ml bottles. This [[sugar content|concentration]] is higher than the level defined as "HIGH" by the UK Food Standards Agency (described for concentrations of sugar above 15g per 100g).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/fss/sugars/ |title=Food Standards Agency – Healthy Diet – Sugars |publisher=Eatwell.gov.uk |date=2011-03-29 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}</ref> Based on the existence of many products like Yakult in the world market and the content of milk protein (1.4 g per 100 ml),<ref>http://www.yakulteurope.com/index.cfm?menuid=2&ContentID=14</ref> |
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it was classified as a fermented milk named "Fermented Milk Drinks" of the Codex Standard. |
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Through nutrient profiling guidelines, current health claim regulation in [[European Union]] may forbid the use of health claim on food products that are nutritionally unbalanced, but dairy products and probiotic drinks are likely to be considered as favourable carrier because their health benefits outweigh the fact they might be high in one of the designated 'unhealthy' ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=83569|title=Nutraingredients.com|date=|publisher=Nutraingredients.com|accessdate=2011-11-17}} |
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==Scientific reviews == |
==Scientific reviews == |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Reflist |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
Revision as of 20:57, 7 September 2018
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Industry | Probiotic Drinks |
---|---|
Founded | 1935 |
Headquarters | Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
Key people | Sumiya Hori (Chairman), Khamis Agear(EVP for global operation) |
Website | www.yakult.co.jp/english/ |
Yakult (ヤクルト, Yakuruto) is a probiotic dairy product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota. It was created by Japanese scientist Minoru Shirota.
Yakult Honsha Company

The Yakult Honsha Company is a multinational corporation that also owns the Tokyo Yakult Swallows baseball team. The company regularly promotes what the Financial Times called its "idiosyncratic philosophy of 'Shirota-ism'", namely that it should sell its products at an affordable price, and that a healthy intestine promotes longer life.[1]

Since 1963 Yakult has employed women known as "Yakult ladies" (ヤクルトレディー; Yakuruto redī) or "Yakult aunties" (ヤクルトおばさん; Yakuruto obasan) to sell or deliver the products to individuals at their homes while traveling on bicycles or motorcycles. The initiative, meant to utilize Japanese women in the workforce, is responsible for up to 60% of all bottled Yakult sales. However, the number of Yakult ladies in Japan has declined from 65,700 in 1973 to 42,500 in 2009.[2]
In 1998 the company gained international attention for its losses in the derivatives market, totaling $US813 million.[3] In 2000 The Japan Times reported that Yakult Honsha had been paying a criminal syndicate annually to keep them from disrupting shareholder meetings, but that the money was concealed as payments to an advertising company.[4]
Yakult opened a factory in Fountain Valley, California in the United States in 2014.[5] Yakult is manufactured and sold in India under a 50:50 joint-venture with Danone.[6] For over a decade Danone owned 21 percent of Yakult Honsha shares, but in 2018 Danone announced it would reduce its holdings in Yakult to 7 percent, while still remaining the largest Yakult Honsha shareholder.[7]
Nutritional value
Standard Yakult (excludes variations such as in Yakult Light) contains:[8]
- Sugar (sucrose, dextrose)
- Skimmed milk powder
- Flavours
- Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain, 6.5 billion per 65 ml bottle (concentration of 108 CFU/mL)
- Water
Standard Yakult contains 14g of sugar for every 100g, but comes in 65 ml bottles. This concentration is higher than the level defined as "HIGH" by the UK Food Standards Agency (described for concentrations of sugar above 15g per 100g).[9] Based on the existence of many products like Yakult in the world market and the content of milk protein (1.4 g per 100 ml),[10] it was classified as a fermented milk named "Fermented Milk Drinks" of the Codex Standard. Through nutrient profiling guidelines, current health claim regulation in European Union may forbid the use of health claim on food products that are nutritionally unbalanced, but dairy products and probiotic drinks are likely to be considered as favourable carrier because their health benefits outweigh the fact they might be high in one of the designated 'unhealthy' ingredients.[11]
Scientific reviews
In 2010, in response to a request from Yakult to market its products as maintaining upper respiratory tract defence against pathogens, the EFSA panel concluded that a cause and effect relationship had not been established between the consumption of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota and such maintenance.[12]
See also
- Kefir
- Probiotic
- Tokyo Yakult Swallows
- Carlos Kasuga (founder of Yakult Mexico)
References
- ^ Bland, Ben; Soble, Jonathan (November 27, 2013). "On the trail of the Yakult Ladies". Financial Times. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ 久保, 智 (July 27, 2009). "朝日新聞社):堅調ヤクルトレディー 地域密着、不況知らず - 経済を読む - ビジネス・経済". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ "Japan Company Derivatives Loss". The New York Times. March 21, 1998. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ "Yakult paid off gangsters: Sources". The Japan Times. January 13, 2000. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ Mueller, Mark (June 28, 2010). "Yakult To Build Fountain Valley Plant for U.S. Expansion". Orange County Business Journal. 33 (26): 1, 23.
- ^ Prakash, Saumya (21 May 2012). "Yakult Danone: Spreading far and wide". Business Standard. Retrieved Jan 7, 2017.
- ^ Gretler, Corinne (February 14, 2018). "Yakult Declines After Danone's $1.8 Billion Share Sale Plan". Bloomberg News. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ "Yakult Australia – Nutritional Information". Retrieved 2007-01-16.
- ^ "Food Standards Agency – Healthy Diet – Sugars". Eatwell.gov.uk. 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ http://www.yakulteurope.com/index.cfm?menuid=2&ContentID=14
- ^ "Nutraingredients.com". Nutraingredients.com. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ "EFSA – Scientific Opinion of the NDA Panel: Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota and maintenance of the upper respiratory tract defence against pathogens by maintaining immune defences". Efsa.europa.eu. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1860. Retrieved 2011-11-17.