Course:FNH200/Projects/2022/Yakult: Processes, Packaging, and Health Effects

A Bottle of Yakult

Origins

Yakult is a probiotic beverage developed in 1935 by Minoru Shirota and his group of volunteers to fight the ongoing infectious diseases in Japan that caused sickness in many children. The product was designed to be an inexpensive beverage fermented with a strain of lactobacilli called, "Lactobacillus casei Shirota," and was flavoured sweetly and packaged in tiny containers to advertise the drink for children .

Processing

The process begins with dissolving skim milk powder in a large tank with 50-55°C temperature water, forming a milk solution. The solution is placed into a ultra heat sterilizer (UHT) to kill unwanted bacteria before cooled to prepare for the addition of Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Fermentation occurs at 37°C to optimize mesophile bacterial growth and ferments until the optimal concentration of bacteria has formed. Once the solution transforms into a curd, the newly formed sour-flavoured milk is transferred to a storage tank, followed by the addition of syrup sweetener to counterbalance the natural sour flavour produced by concentration of the mesophile bacteria. The solution is then chilled in a storage tank at 5°C to slow bacteria activity, allowing it to be stored for longer periods of time. This curd solution is mixed with cold water and added with additional flavouring and colouring to produce the flavour and texture known today, and the final product is dispersed into 360,000 bottles of Yakult. Due to the nature of fermentation in Yakult, the drinks are stored at constant refrigeration temperatures to prevent potential degradation caused by over-concentration of the Lactobacillus casei Shirota mesophile bacteria .

Ingredient and Nutrients

Nutrition Label of Original Yakult

Yakult consists of water, skimmed milk, glucose-fructose syrup, sucrose, and live Lactobacillus casei Shirota bacteria. Yakult is made by heating the glucose and skimmed milk mixture at 90 to 95°C for about 30 minutes. Lactobacillus is then added to the cool mixture at 45°C and fermented for 6 to 7 days at 37 to 38°C. Water, sugar, gums and lactic acid are added for sweet taste and to adjust the consistency. Yakult contains 50 calories and 10 grams of sugar per bottle with no fat, gluten, or cholesterol.

Positive Health Effects

Yakult is a product that promotes itself on the basis of its positive health effects. Lactobacillus casei Shirota bacteria is the most important ingredient in Yakult; it is considered a probiotic responsible for alleviating gastrointestinal pathogenic bacterial diseases. Examples include: E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Clostridium amongst others. Each bottle of Yakult Original contains at least 20 billion live cultures , with benefits ranging from the alleviation of constipation/diarrhea to boosting of the immune system in fighting viruses and diseases . Another version of the product available in Canada, Yakult Light, is able to achieve the same health benefits as Yakult Original, whilst being 25% less in calories and containing no added sugars . A paper released by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre in 2006 found that consuming at least one bottle of Yakult per day can improve bowel movements for people who tend to be constipated and might help maintain a healthy population of gut flora .

Yakult Original and Yakult Light are labeled as “Probiotic Drinks” in Canada. While there are no specific regulations pertaining to probiotic bacteria in foods, it would likely mean probiotics have been added to the product and claim to provide positive health benefits to the consumer. In the case of Lactobacillus casei Shirota, the probiotic bacteria is suggested to provide benefits such as balancing gut bacteria, improving gastrointestinal dysfunction, modulating inflammatory and immune responses, as well as preventing infection and cancer .

Health Concerns

One may observe that the three most abundant ingredients in a serving of Yakult is water, sugar, and skimmed milk powder; the latter two ingredients, sugar and skimmed milk powder, have been a topic of discussion in regard to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes.

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a major factor of epidemic obesity and there is evidence linking SSB intake to body weight in adolescents . As mentioned above, Yakult’s second most abundant ingredient is sugar: 9 grams of added sugar for taste and 1 gram of sugar required for fermentation to allow the strain to grow. Yakult sugar content totals to 10 grams per 80 ml serving, greater than the average can of soda which contains around 35 grams of sugar per 355ml serving. Obesity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease as excess body weight can lead to fatty acid buildup in arteries and veins leading to heart disease . The usage of skimmed milk to provide a non-fat drink results in a SSB that provides minimal amounts of vitamins A, D, E, and K commonly found in the fat portion of milk .

Packaging

Common package of Yakults

The packaging of Yakult uses polystyrene resin bottles and aluminum foil caps. Polystyrene packaging is considered an effective and economical food packaging material because it is proven to reduce food-borne illness and preserve the essence of food . The aluminum foil lid serves to maintain the original moisture content of the Yakult and to keep out heat and microorganisms.

During the packaging process, polystyrene is melted at high temperatures in a hygienic environment and molded into the shape of the Yakult bottle, which is placed in a collection tank. These bottles are then extracted by the filling machine and individually and aseptically filled with Yakult drinks and finally sealed with foil lids .

The filled Yakult bottles are packaged in groups and sent to a cold room for cooling .

It is recommended to keep Yakult between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. Also, Yakult can be stored at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours. Excessive freezing temperatures may affect the bacterial activity. Likewise, the active bacteria in Yakult will become active between 15 and 40 degrees Celsius, so much so that they will slowly die due to depletion of all nutrients.

Green Packaging Plan

The Yakult company has two five-year plans for green packaging. By 2025, the company plans to lay the foundation for green packaging with recyclable, biodegradable, or biomass materials and start putting it on trial. By 2030, the company envisions to complete its transition to environmentally friendly packaging materials .

Environmental Concerns and Solutions

Yakult producers believe that in order for one to be healthy, our surroundings must be healthy as well. This means that everything from the natural earth to our society, must be healthy to ensure our human wellbeing. In recent years, issues such as plastic pollution in oceans, climate change, and natural resource depletion have become global problems. In light of this, Yakult engages in initiatives to promote recycling of plastic containers and packaging. In the future, by utilizing biomass, since it is a renewable organic resource that is derived from plant or animal resources . This is to switch from plastic to a more sustainable paper carton packaging. Water, is also a finite resource in this planet. Due to the recent water related disasters and gap between water supply and demand, these have become a global issue.

In recent years, water-related disasters, the gap between water supply and demand, and other problems concerning water have become global issues. During production, such equipment such as tanks are pipers are often automatically cleaned with water, which includes pre and post rinsing . By reducing the amount of water used in pre and post cleaning, water usage was reduced by 1350 m^3. Climate change is one of the largest issues that most companies including Yakult faces. Reducing the carbon dioxide emissions by switching to LED lighting and using solar power generation, changes overall power consumption and emissions. Stated above during storage, cold water is circulated throughout the tanks to maintain quality This water comes from special water tanks using pumps. To reduce electricity consumption, the pump operation was modified to supply cold water intermittently.

Potential Exam Question

Lactobacillus casei Shirota is a__________; where it __________

A) Good Virus ; contributes to the fermentation of the milk in Yakult during production

B) Bad Bacteria; contributes to the spoilage of milk in Yakult during production

C)Bad Virus ; contributes to the spoilage and production of disease causing microorganisms in the milk in Yakult during production

D)Good Bacteria; contributes to the fermentation of the milk in Yakult during production

E) None of the above, Lactobacillus casei Shirota is neither a virus nor a bacteria

Answer : D, Lactobacillus Casei Shriota is a good bacteria as it helps ferment the milk in yakult. This question is useful as back in lesson 5, we learned about microorganisms, moulds, bacteria and viruses. Bacteria and moulds are known for their ¨bad¨ reputations. However some bacteria such as L. Casei is rather good and contributes to not only fermentation but better gut health too.

References

1. Contributing to the health and happiness of people around the world. Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://www.yakult.co.jp/english/
2. Manufacturing process. Yakult Singapore. (2021, September 15). Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://yakult.com.sg/manufacturing-process/
3. Vonk, R.J. et al. (2006). Assessment Report Yakult. Netherlands Nutrition Centre. 1-6. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://d3heu4nageqwg5.cloudfront.net/app/uploads/2019/05/attachment-ASSESSMENTREPORT061110-1-.pdf
4. Yakult original. Yakult. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://yakultme.com/yakult-light/
5. What's in a Bottle? Yakult. (2021, June 9). Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://yakult.com.mt/ingredients/
6. Kato-Kataoka A, et al. (2016). Fermented Milk Containing Lactobacillus casei Strain Shirota Preserves the Diversity of the Gut Microbiota and Relieves Abdominal Dysfunction in Healthy Medical Students Exposed to Academic Stress. Appl Environ Microbiol. 82(12), 3649-3658.
7. Malik, Vasanti (August 2006). "Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 84: 274–288.
8. Malik, Vasanti (Mar 2010). "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk". Circulation. 121: 1356–1364.
9. Ramalho, H (October 2012). "Fat-soluble vitamin (A, D, E, and β-carotene) contents from a Portuguese autochthonous cow breed—Minhota". Journal of Dairy Science. 95: 5476–5484.
10. Yakult Honsha Co., L. (n.d.). Plastic containers and packaging. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.yakult.co.jp/english/csr/environment/plastic/
11. What is polystyrene? Uses, benefits, and Safety Facts. (2021, May 25). Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/
12. Water. (2021, August . Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.yakult.co.jp/english/csr/environment/water/