5 Interesting Facts About Yakult That Singaporeans Do Not Know

Whether you are a primary school student, a working adult, or entering your senior years, you would most likely have consumed Yakult before, or even on the regular. While we all know Yakult to be a tasty nifty beverage that we usually gulp down in no time, do you know that it is actually a premium probiotic cultured milk drink developed in Japan?

A household name in Singapore, Yakult has been keeping happiness alive for 90 years by promoting gut health in their beverages, and the esteemed brand aims to continue doing so by launching innovative new products, being a trendy beverage that can be enjoyed in creative forms(such as in bubble teas), and fostering close-knitted communities.

Do you know that

1. Yakult was founded by a doctor in 1935?

Doctor Minoru Shirota realised that infectious diseases such as cholera and dysentery owing to poor hygiene and nutrition were claiming the lives of many in pre-war times, and this inspired him to study preventive medicine and microorganisms in university. Doctor Shirota spent 5 years isolating and cultivating the now proprietary strain of lactic acid bacteria Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS) that is found in Yakult drinks. Doctor Shirota believes that a healthy intestinal tract leads to a long life, and hence created an affordable and accessible probiotic drink that promotes gut health. Now, Yakult even has a state-of-the-art Yakult Central Institute dedicated to research and development into the power of LcS.

Yakult Ladies did not stop delivering Yakult during the 3-month Covid-19 lockdown in Singapore in 2020?

Yakult Ladies are the face of Yakult. In Singapore, Yakult Ladies go door-knocking with a trolley filled with chilled Yakult, while delivering Yakult to families who have a subscription plan with them. Over time, these Yakult Ladies become acquainted with the families that they make deliveries to, and many valuable friendships have developed from these interactions. This creates and fosters deep community ties, which is a really unique thing that’s unheard of. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Yakult Ladies in Singapore did not stop working, and some of them even received calls from elderly patrons to help them procure fresh food as they were unable to leave their homes. In Japan, there are a total of about 35,000 Yakult Ladies and many of them stay with the company for a long time — some even up to 50 years! I had the cool opportunity of following a 76-year-old Yakult Lady on her delivery rounds to offices and shopping malls in Ginza and got to see the interactions between her regulars and her. It was very heartwarming and something truly unprecedented. Yakult Ladies in Japan also sell products that can only be exclusively purchased through them (such as the Yakult 1000 in a specific bottle, and more).

Yakult is present in 40 countries and regions, with exclusive products in some?

Even as a fan of Yakult, I didn’t know that Yakult has a presence in 40 countries, and regions. The multi-billion company’s global presence is impressive and their commitment to serving local communities shows in how they try to build factories locally so they can manufacture their signature probiotic drinks for the region. For example, they have a research centre in Belgium to better understand the demographics and habits of consumers in Europe, and also a factory in Senoko Avenue in Singapore where variations of probiotic beverages exclusive to Singapore are crafted and packaged.

In Japan, their hero product —Yakult 1000 — is the best selling product that is available in 2 different bottle shapes. It contains more than 100 billion Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota per bottle, the highest concentration in any Yakult drink. Classed as a food with functional claims, Yakult 1000 has been shown to relieve stress and improve sleep quality under conditions of temporary mental stress.

Interestingly, Yakult also has a Yakult Honsha Shonan Cosmetics Factory where ranges of meticulously-crafted skincare products are produced. They even have a special and elusive 110,000 yen moisturizing cream(Yakult Beautiens Brilliant The Cream)! Other products that Yakult offers in Japan include pharmaceutical products, instant noodles, energy drinks, dried fruits, and more.

Yakult is an integral part of children’s lives in Japan and Singapore?

In elementary schools in Japan, Yakult is served in all lunchboxes which contain nutritious meals prepared by chefs on-site. I visited a private elementary school in Tokyo and watched young school-goers donning aprons plate and serve food to their classmates. It was an eye-opening experience overloaded with cuteness! In Singapore, Yakult offers a School Drinking Scheme where they deliver Yakult to partner schools, and also host factory tours for preschoolers in these schools. Yakult is also available for sale in the canteens of numerous schools in Singapore.

Yakult has been in Singapore since 1978?

Yakult’s first office was set up in 3 humble containers in Hillview Avenue. They have definitely come a long way, now occupying a multi-million dollar space in Senoko Avenue where bottles of Yakult are rapidly produced, and constant testing and quality checks of Yakult products are carried out.

Yakult’s key product in Singapore is the Yakult Gold which is exclusive to Singapore(it has lower sugar content, and 10 billion strains of LCS). Yakult is so popular in Singapore that it’s increasingly used in beverages such as bubble tea. The stringent processes that happen in the Singapore factory are adapted from the enormous Yakult factory in Japan that has a much larger capacity.

I hope that these interesting facts about Yakult have offered a deeper insight into the company’s values and mission, and also shine a light on how the brand has evolved over the years while staying relevant and important to our lives. The next time you drink a bottle of Yakult, I hope you remember how many LcS you’re putting into your gut!

Campaign Info

As a big thank you for 45 years of support, Yakult is running a special campaign where you stand a chance to win a Yakult bottle shaped GOLD worth $2,000! Simply buy a minimum $13 worth of any Yakult products in a single purchase from participating outlets or via home delivery to stand a chance to win. Promotion runs from 1st September to 31st October 2024. Visit Yakult’s Instagram (@yakultsingapore) or Facebook (@yakultsingapore) or Official Website for more information. Terms and conditions apply.