Yakult Malaysia

YAKULT (MALAYSIA) Sdn. Bhd

1.0 Introduction

The Yakult cultured milk drink in Malaysia is proudly Malaysian made, from the finest selected ingredients. Although Yakult has enjoyed 70 years of successfully promoting better health overseas, it is a new product to Malaysia. Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. commenced production in February 2004 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yakult Honsha (Japan). Yakult has committed millions of ringgit to establish and operate its Malaysian manufacturing operations in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan and head office in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, respectively. The product that is marketed in Malaysia is Yakult Ace, an improved version of the standard Yakult cultured milk drink available in other countries worldwide. Yakult Ace has a higher concentration of the probiotics Lactobacillus casei Shirota and added nutrients: calcium, niacin and vitamins B6, B12 and D. Yakult (M) Sdn. Bhd. currently employs over 88 people throughout Malaysia. Our employees include production workers, sales consultants, customer service officers, administrative staff, managers and human resource personnel.

2.0 History

The man behind the founding of Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd was Dr. Minoru Shirota. He began developing Yakult in 1930 while he was with the Microbiology Department at Kyoto Imperial University's School of Medicine. Dr. Shirota believed that rather than curing a disease, it was much better to build a strong body that was able to resist the disease. He turned his attention to the study of microorganisms due to his strong belief that a type of bacteria- ¡¥lactic acid bacteria is capable of contributing to our health. Dr Shirota¡'s objective was to isolate a beneficial bacterium that would be able to survive through our

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stomach and bile acids to arrive alive in our intestines. There it would assist the functioning of our digestive system. Subsequently, he discovered that lactobacilli could also destroy harmful bacteria that live in our intestines. Excited by this finding, he conducted an exhaustive invest igation of lactobacilli, whereupon he discovered a new strain of bacteria. Early Yakult bottle This strain of bacteria - Lactobacillus casei, was found to be the most acid and bile resistant and was subsequently named Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain in honor of Dr Shirota¡'s research. It was the discovery of this bacterium that led to the birth of Yakult. In 1935, Dr. Shirota started distributing Yakult from his clinic. For the next 20 years, Yakult was produced and marketed all over Japan by a number of independent operators. Finally, in 1955, 1 955, Dr Shirota founded his own company, Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd., consolidating his business by taking control of all the operations. His business plan had an overriding business objective: to promote health and bring happiness. The Yakult headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Yakult is available in 28 countries and is consumed by more than 20 million people every da y worldwide.

3.0 Product and Services Services

The Yakult that we drink in Malaysia is produced from high quality, carefully selected ingredients and packaged in our modern state-of-the-art factory in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. The bacteria come from the mother culture in Japan. The local plant maintains the highest quality standards throughout the process, equivalent to the Yakult manufacturing plants in Japan. In the Yakult factory, a lot of attention is paid to the two-way communication with the consumer. P eople who are interested can get information in the factory, and moreover, this is unique as they can follow the whole production process from a lobby on the first floor. The walls are made of glass, which makes every step of the production process clearly visible. This shows the open character and



and the product. You too can visit the Yakult factory! Just contact us and we will arrange a tour fo r you, your family and friends.

4.0 Culture and Values Values

Yakult's greatest goal is to bring healthy smiles to faces everywhere. The global corporate philosophy of the Yakult Group is : "To contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through the pursuit of excellence in life sciences in general and our expertise in microbiological research in particular. "

5.0 Making Yakult

5.1 Mixing of Raw Ingredients Ingredients Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain is cultured in a 'seed tank' in our laboratory. Skim milk powder is mixed with sugar, glucose and filtered, sterilised water to make a sweet milky solution.

5.2 Sterilisation The sweet, milky solution is sterilised at a high temperature for a short time, destroying any bacteria that may be present. The solut ion is then transferred to a 6,500-litre culture tank via a closed system of pipes and valves.

5.3 Culture Tank The temperature of the tank is reduced to 37°C and live Lactobacillus Lactoba cillus casei Shirota strain is added. The solution is allowed to ferment for about one week

until the number of Lactobacillus casei bacteria reaches an ideal concentration.

5.4 Mixing and Storage Tank The concentrate is transferred to a 12,000-litre mixing and storage tank. The



calcium are added to the concentrate. Prior to bottling, the concentrate is diluted with filtered, sterile water.

5.5 Injection Blow Moulding Moulding Machine The plastic bottles are produced on site. The bottles are made from polystyrene.

5.6 Bottling and Packaging Packaging The bottles are wrapped with individual bottle labels. Then, they are filled with Yakult, capped with a foil lid, sealed and transferred along the conveyor belt to the packaging facility. Single bottles o f Yakult are sorted into groups of five and shrink-wrapped in polypropylene film. Ten "5-packs" are grouped together and wrapped again in polyethylene film and then heat shrunk, forming a 'carton' of 50 Yakult bottles.

5.7 Refrigeration Room Finished products are kept refrigerated refrigerated before delivery to stores. stor es.

5.8 Yakult Quality Assurance Yakult maintains a comprehensive quality assurance program in order to ensure that our product is of the highest quality. For this reason, samples are collected for laboratory analysis throughout the production process to confirm that the quality assurance measures in place have been effective. The testing involves more than 150 samples per production run, upon which a total of more than 200 tests are conducted. These determine Lactobacillus casei numbers, check for potential contaminants, microbiological quality, composition, acidity, physical attributes and taste. In addition, each bottle is inspected for undesirable undesirable markings and incorrect printing. printing. Quality assurance measures are in place to maintain standards for



called "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points" (HACCP). The principles of HACCP are internationally recognised as an excellent method for assuring stringently high standards.

9. Waste Management Cleaning - Yakult adheres to a comprehensive hygiene and sanitation program, following a cleaning program that is predominantly governed by CIP (Cleaning in Place). Steam, an environmentally friendly cleaner, is used to sterilize the pipes and tanks. A single phase chemical cleaner is used, reducing the numbers of chemicals introduced into the drains. Chlorine based chemicals are not used.

Solid wastes - The T he amount amount of solid waste is relatively small.

Liquid wastes - Any liquid waste goes into a holding tank in our water treatment facility. The acidity (pH) of the water is adjusted with acid or alkaline before being released into the sewage system. system.



REFERENCE

Yakult. 2010. The Science of Probiotics. Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Seremban, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus. www.yakult.com.my. 2008. Yakult Pioneer of Probiotic. Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd

Yakult Malaysia

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