Yakult - Post Company Visit Report

Information about the site visit

Name of Company	Hong Kong Yakult Co., Ltd.
Location of Company	Tai Po Industrial Estate
Date of Visit	24 March 2014
Schedule	1. Video Showing 2. Q & A Session 3. Tasting 4. Factory visit

During the visit, we were first given a video to show the company background and philosophy. Then, the company let us taste their brand new product, Yakult (Low Sugar). We were invited to visit its factory for producing the drink.


Company’s Philosophy

Long time ago, the founder of Yakult, Dr Minoru Shirota wanted to help people avoid from sickness and so started the microorganism research with his philosophy - " Preventive medicine ", " A healthy intestinal tract leads to a long life " and " A price anyone can afford" .

In 1935, Dr Minoru Shirota utilized the results of his scientific research into the products to bring hope for human health and happiness. And, the lactobacillusbased, inexpensive and good tasting beverage was born in 1935 to let people benefit from Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, which reaches the intestines alive and promotes intestinal health.

Company Background
Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd has a history of researching, producing and selling fermented dairy and it is one of the famous lactic acid bacteria beverage manufacturers in the world. It was founded in 1935 and headquartered in Japan. Currently, Yakult owns branches in 32 countries and regions around the world and its business involves in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, healthcare industry and so on.

Business in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Yakult Co., Ltd. was established in 1969 and focuses on manufacturing and selling beverage products. Its factory was located at Kwun Tong at first and is moved to Tai Po Industrial Estate at present. Early, it hires Yakult Ladies to sell the products to consumers directly by the “direct marketing strategy ". Today, its products can be founded in the famous chains of supermarkets and convenience stores in Hong Kong.

Old factory in Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong

Present factory in Tai Po Industrial Estate

Products in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, we can these 3 drinks in the market, which are Yakult (Original), Yakult LT (Low Sugar) and Bansoreicha. For the first 2 drinks, Yakult and Yakult LT are produced in Hong Kong. And for the last one, Bansoreicha is imported from Japan.

​​Factory visit

In this part, the company showed us the manufacturing process of Yakult from producing the containers to filling the containers.

First stage of the production is in the Molding Room. It injects the PS Rubbers into the molding machines, dissolves the rubbers under 250 degree and make the Yakult’s containers.

The second stage is in Processing Room. In this stage, it involves 3 processes.

A. First, raw materials like skim milk powder, sugar and dextrose are dissolved and mixed with filtered, sterilised water to make a sweet milky solution and then the solution is cooled down. Next, the live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain is added to the solution, and the solution is allowed to ferment in the tank for 7 days.

B. The concentrate is mixed with the sterilised and chilled syrup solution.

C. The concentrate is diluted with filtered, sterile water at a preset ratio.

The last stage is in the Filling Room. The bottles are filled with Yakult (100ml/bottle), then they are capped with a foil lid, printed with a use-by date, sealed and transferred along the conveyor belt to the packaging facility. Then, five or three bottles of Yakult are wrapped in polyethylene film. And 10 x five/three packs are grouped together and wrapped again in polyethylene film.


Reflection

After the visit, we understand more about Yakult, such as company information and the operation of Yakult’s production lines. We find that quality control is vital in the manufacturing process for the beverage, just like HK Yakult Co. Ltd maintains a comprehensive Quality Management Program in order to ensure that their product is of the highest quality. For example, staffs seat nearby the conveyor belts to check the packages of the finished products.

Moreover, keeping the products fresh is important for HK Yakult Co. Ltd. Since, the shelf life of Yakult is short (about 1 month), so the time between finishing the products and launching to the market should be as short as possible. That is why HK Yakult Co. Ltd. products Yakult by its own local factory instead of importing from other countries.


Reference:
Company History & Product Information, n.d. Available from: < http://www.yakult.com.hk/home.htm > [11 April 2014]
Company Profile, n.d. Available from: < http://www.yakult.co.jp/english/company/index.html> [11 April 2014]
How is Yakult Made?, n.d. Available from: < http://www.yakult.com.au/product04.htm > [11 April 2014]