Made Fresh For You

Yakult is a fermented milk drink containing our unique

probiotic bacteria, the Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS).
 How Yakult is Made
• Yakult is produced in a purpose-built factory incorporating the
state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, equipment and on-site
Quality Control Laboratory.
• Yakult production uses a variety of lean management strategies,
including forecasting, takt time, automated one-piece flow production,
and 5S workplace organisation, to optimise efficiency, reduce waste, and
meet customer demand.
• More than 450,000 bottles are produced daily to supply both Australian
and New Zealand markets.

1 Quality Control (QC) 2 Dissolving and Sterilisation

• QC activities involve sampling, testing and • Water used is filtered by reverse osmosis to
inspection of the product, bottles and remove the trace components.
packaging - confirming that the Quality
Assurance (QA) measures have been effective. • Skim milk powder, sucrose and dextrose are
blended with the filtered water and produce a
• Individual bottles are routinely inspected along batch of milk which is then sterilised using
the production line to check for incorrect High Temperature Short Time (HTST).
printing, undesirable markings and lid sealing.
• HTST takes place at a high temperature for a
• Raw ingredient samples are tested for quality short time and kills any bacteria potentially
prior to purchasing a batch. present.
• The high quality of Yakult is ensured through • The high temperature used for sterilisation also
an extensive variety of tests that include
produces Yakult’s natural colour as milk
microbiological quality, composition and taste.
proteins and sugar undergo Maillard reaction.
Once approved, the product is ready to be
released to stores.

• More than 100 tests are conducted for every

batch of Yakult created.

QC testing is conducted throughout

products’ shelf life, including:

1. Specific Gravity – measures the density of

ingredients in Yakult throughout production.
Raw Ingredients
2. Brix – measures the total soluble solid
content (i.e. sugars in Yakult) using a Each 65ml bottle of Yakult contains:
refractometer. • 6.5 billion live LcS
• Skim milk powder
3. Titratable Acidity – measures the level of acid • Sugar – sucrose and dextrose
development in the product and is used to • Flavouring
monitor growth conditions of • Water
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS).
Yakult LIGHT contains less sugar than
4. Microbiological tests – measures the Yakult Original.
number of LcS within the samples and
ensures negligible to zero levels of Yakult LIGHT is bottled and packaged
contaminating bacteria. on the same production line at a
different time or day to Yakult Original.

1 2 3 4 5
 3 Yakult Culturing &
Fermentation 7 Bottle Filling, Capping
and Sealing
• Once the milk solution is prepared, it is transferred • Empty bottles are unscrambled by a machine
to a fermentation tank through a closed system of and placed upright on the filling line, forming a
pipes and valves, where the temperature is continuous line.
lowered to an appropriate level.
• Labels are printed on the Yakult bottles with
• After inoculating the milk solution with the LcS quick drying, non-toxic red ink, while Yakult
starter culture, the bacteria multiples during the LIGHT bottles have a film wrap that is heated to
fermentation process. shrink onto the bottle.
• LcS performs fermentation on the milk solution to • The use-by date and batch code are printed on
break down lactose, the predominant the waist of each bottle.
carbohydrate in milk, into lactic acid, which
• After filling with 65ml of fresh Yakult, each bottle
produces energy for the bacteria.
is capped with a foil lid and sealed by a high
frequency oscillator before travelling via a

4 Homogenisation conveyor belt to the packaging area.

• The bottling line can produce 45,000 bottles per
• Following the fermentation period, the milk hour.
solution undergoes homogenisation, a process
where the fermented milk is passed through a
structure with small holes under high pressure 8 Control Panel
to create a smooth consistency.
• Yakult’s automated production is managed by
Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM),
which controls the production line through a

5 Blending, Mixing &

Storage
control panel.
• Information such as bottle count, capacity and
• After blending the fermented milk solution with operating time is retrieved from the panel.
a unique flavour, the mixture is transferred to a
large storage tank containing sugar syrup,
which creates the Yakult concentrate.
• The Yakult concentrate is then chilled and mixed
9 Packaging

with filtered, sterilised water. • After being sorted into groups of five or ten,
• The final Yakult product is now ready to be bottles of Yakult are wrapped in polypropylene
bottled. film and rapidly passed through a heat tunnel to
tightly seal the packaging.
• The wrapped bottles are automatically

6 Bottle Making and

Storage
combined to form slabs of 50 bottles each, which
are wrapped in polyethylene film and heat
shrunk.
• Yakult’s unique-shaped plastic bottles, made
from triple food grade polystyrene code 6 • The packages are checked to ensure they meet
recyclable pellets, are produced on-site using the quality control standards.
injection blow-moulding machines. • A robotic arm stacks the slabs onto pallets, which
• Pellets are melted and injected under pressure are then stored chilled.
onto core rods.
• Filtered sterile air is blown through each core,
into the mould creating the bottle’s shape.
• Each of the 3 machines on-site can produce up
to 11,000 bottles per hour.
• The empty bottles are then transported by air
pressure to the bottle storage tanks, which can
hold over one million bottles until they are ready
to be labelled, filled, capped, and sealed.

6 7 8 9
Robotic arm
• Yakult pallets are stacked in preparation for Yakult also complies with the requirements
distribution, with a fully stacked pallet containing of the International Organisation of
8,400 bottles of Yakult completed in just 15 Standardisation (ISO 9001:2015).
minutes.
• ISO covers the quality management for the
• Once completed, a forklift is used to transfer the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of
pallet to the cold storage facility. fermented milk products, ensuring our products
and services meet the highest international food
manufacturing standards.
• To maintain this certification, all company
10 Cold Storage procedures are documented and are subject to
routine auditing by external groups.
• Yakult pallets are placed on automated moving
racks and are stored below 4 C.
• The automated moving racks can hold over 300
pallets of Yakult, effectively optimising space by
12 Cold Chain Distribution
minimising the gaps between shelving racks Once Yakult is ready to leave the factory, it is distributed
until forklift access is required. through the following methods:
• The installation of energy-efficient LED lighting
1. Corporate Delivery: Refrigerated trucks deliver
is integrated and synchronised to turn on and
Yakult to major warehouse for Coles, Woolworths,
off with the moving racks. Therefore, only the
and regional areas.
rows of lights over open aisles turn on when in
use. 2. Route Delivery: Yakult Sales Consultants use
refrigerated vans to deliver Yakult directly to
independent supermarkets, Asian grocers, and
other outlets.
3. Refrigerated transportation is utilised for interstate
and overseas distribution, including delivery to New
Zealand.

Material Management Strategies

• Forecasting is used for overall production of
Yakult, relying on past and present sales data.
Forecasting helps predict future material
11 Quality Assurance (QA) demand, enabling better planning and
inventory management. Accurate demand
QA measures maintain excellence in: forecasts facilitate timely procurement and
prevent material shortage or excess.
• Personnel and factory hygiene standards.
• Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is
• Equipment cleaning. utilised to manage materials and production
• Processing methods. schedules based on demand forecasts. It
ensures the availability of materials at the right
• Product handling. time and in the right quantities.
• Purchasing raw materials. • Master Production Schedule (MPS) is a
• Food hygiene training for staff. comprehensive plan that determines the
quantity and timing of production for each
• The provision of equipment and premises. item to meet customer demand while
optimising resources and maintaining
QA utilises ‘Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points’
inventory levels.
(HACCP) principles, an internationally recognised
program for achieving food and public health
specifications. The entire manufacturing process is
controlled to identify possible hazards and to
implement hazard prevention measures.

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 Did you know there are more than 100
trillion bacteria throughout the human
digestive system?
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are defined as live
microorganisms which, when consumed
What’s in Yakult?
in adequate amounts, provide a health
Every 65ml bottle of Yakult contains 6.5 billion live
benefit to the host. Strains belonging to
Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS).
the Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria species
are the most extensively studied The strain is cultured under precise conditions and
probiotics in medicines and foods, rigorously tested to ensure high numbers of
including fermented milk drinks and ‘Colony Forming Units’ throughout all stages of
yoghurts. Probiotics must meet safety the manufacturing process.
standards for human consumption, be
non-pathogenic, and have demonstrated
health benefits.
What’s in a name?

• Lacticaseibacillus – Genus, like a big family that

groups together similar bacteria.
• paracasei – Species, like a first name that helps
us differentiate between different bacteria within
the same genus.
• Shirota – Strain, like a special nickname that
helps us distinguish between different types of
the same bacterial species. Since this strain was
discovered by our founder, Dr Minoru Shirota,
the Shirota strain is named in his honour.

The Shirota strain:

• Is highly acid resistant, surviving the
journey through the digestive system.
• Arrives alive in the small intestines.
• Helps maintain the balance between
beneficial and potentially harmful
bacteria present in our digestive
system.
• Encourages the growth of beneficial
bacteria in the intestines such as
Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.
• Suppresses the growth of potentially
Each millilitre of Yakult
harmful bacteria that produce contains 100,000,000
substances detrimental to our health.
Lacticaseibacillus
• Improves digestive balance and
intestinal health by promoting bowel
paracasei Shirota
regularity. (LcS).
Cleaning and Sanitising
• Cleaning and sanitising are vital to maintaining
hygienic manufacturing equipment.
• Yakult follows a comprehensive cleaning program
called ‘Cleaning in Place’ (CIP).
• Cleaning removes visible soiling from surfaces
and is performed using biodegradable detergent Energy Management
solutions in conjunction with heat, scrubbing,
high-flow circulation, or foaming. Yakult is committed to minimising
environmental impact and incorporates
• Cleaning foam is sprayed on all floor surfaces at energy-efficient practices, including:
the end of each day.
• Keeping equipment well-maintained.
• Sanitising kills any bacteria remaining on surfaces
after cleaning. • Heating liquids with heat exchange plates to
minimise energy loss or waste.
• Steam is used to sterilise the pipe system and
tanks. • Avoiding the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
in cooling or refrigeration.
• Food-grade chemicals are used in specific areas.
• Utilising off-peak rates for utilities whenever
• A sanitising spray is used around equipment in possible.
the bottling area and for staff hand hygiene.
• Employing a natural gas boiler for short
periods, which does not pollute the air.
Waste Management and Recycling • Using LED lights.
• Installing inflatable insulated curtain panels in
• Effective waste management strategies the Cool Storage Room to reduce cold air
contribute to a cleaner and less wasteful facility. escaping while loading Yakult onto trucks.
99% of Yakult’s raw ingredients end up in the
bottle, leaving no by-products. • Utilising movable storage shelves in the Cool
Storage Room to store Yakult pallets closer
• Cleaning waste is processed in the on-site water together, resulting in reduced cooling
treatment facility. requirements.
• The acidity/alkalinity of collected water is adjusted,
if necessary, to meet Melbourne Water standards.
Ethical and Social
• The high temperature used for sterilisation also Responsibilities
produces Yakult’s natural colour as milk proteins
and sugar undergo Maillard reaction. • Staff regularly undergo training to
• Recycling of packaging materials takes place ensure appropriate operation of
where it is economically and environmentally machinery.
viable: • Regular hearing checks for production
workers.
- Paper products, such as skim milk powder
bags, are recycled. • Community involvement in public
education services.
- Bottles can be collected for recycling and
crushed. They are then mixed with other • Health professional scientific
resin to create repurposed products, such as communication.
chairs and tables. • Commitment to waste reduction.
• Supporting local Australian industries
by sourcing local ingredients.
• Corporate sponsorship.
• Conducting free-of-charge educational
tours of the factory.

Yakult Australia Pty Ltd

10 Monterey Rd, Dandenong Victoria 3175
Locked Bag 1403, Dandenong South 3164
Freecall 1800 640 023
www.yakult.com.au