Yakult
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Yakult (ヤクルト Yakuruto?) is a Japanese probiotic yogurt-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk and sugar with a special strain of the bacteria Lactobacillus casei. It was invented by Kyoto University pediatrics doctor Minoru Shirota in 1930. In 1935, he founded the Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (株式会社ヤクルト本社 Kabushiki-gaisha Yakuruto Honsha?) (TYO: 2267 ) to market this beverage. Since then, Yakult has also introduced a line of beverages for the Japanese market that contain Bifidobacterium breve bacteria, and has also used its lactobacilli research to develop cosmetics. More recently, the Yakult Honsha played a major role in developing the chemotherapy drug irinotecan (Camptosar, CPT-11).[1]
Because L. casei Shirota is naturally found in the digestive system, Yakult is touted as beneficial for intestinal health. It has a natural citrus flavor. Yakult also has a high amount of sugar, 12 grams in each bottle, to keep the bacteria alive.
Official claims state that the name is derived from jahurto, an archaic form of the Esperanto for "yoghurt"[2] (the modern word is jogurto).[3] However, urban myths have suggested that it may also be derived from the combination of "Yak" and "culture", reflecting the fact that the bacteria used to culture Yakult was originally obtained from a strain discovered by Japanese researchers in the gut of Mongolian Yaks in the lead up to the second Sino-Japanese war.
Yakult also owns one of Japan's major baseball franchises, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Today, Yakult is sold in 27 countries[4], although its bacteria cultures are still imported from a mother strain in Japan regardless of production location.[citation needed]
Yakult is marketed in different sizes. In Australia and Europe, Yakult comes in 65mL bottles. In the USA, 80 ml bottles are available. Whereas in Taiwan and China, it comes in 100 ml bottles. [5][6][7]
[edit] Ingredients
Standard Yakult (excludes variations such as in Yakult Light) contains [8]:
- Sugar (sucrose)
- Skim milk powder
- Glucose
- Natural flavours
- Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain
- Water
[edit] References
- ^ Yakult company profile: Pharmaceutical Division
- ^ What is the origin of Yakult’s name?
- ^ Reta Vortaro - jogurto
- ^ Yakult Europe - Yakult worldwide. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
- ^ Yakult USA. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
- ^ Yakult Australia - What is Yakult?. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
- ^ Yakult Taiwan. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
- ^ Yakult Australia - Nutritional Information. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
