If you are one of those people who loves and has grown up drinking Yakult, you probably know the feeling of hanging on to drinking just one bottle of it.
Are you also one of those who collapsed in the dream when you found out that April Fools was just the news before that there will be a Yakult liter? But why is Yakult in such a small bottle?
Let's talk about how our favorite probiotic drink started and we will also talk about the reason why the yakult bottle is so small despite the demand and quantity of those requesting its larger servings.
DR. MINORU SHIROTA
The story of yakult began in 1899 when its founder MINORU SHIROTA was born in the small town of Nagano in Japan. While Japan was experiencing poverty in the 1920s, many young people were being hit and killed by stomach disease just like Cholera and Dysentery.
Desiring to curb the spread of the disease and help his countrymen, Shirota began researching bacteria. 1921 when he entered Kyoto University Medical School where he also became a researcher after graduating. Here he studied the effects of bacteria on the body and after several years of research, in 1930 Dr. succeeded. Shirota in the cultivation of lactic acid that can reach life inside the stomach to prevent the growth of bad bacteria and improve digestion.
Probiotics or good bacteria are named after him and are called Lactobacillus Casei Shirota but the Lactobacilli Shirota Strain is more familiar to me.
THE BEGINNING OF YAKULT
After succeeding in discovering his own Probiotics, it took another five years of research by Dr. Shirota how he can deliver to more people the discovered good bacteria. Until he even thought of developing a fermented mild drink containing the probiotics strain he discovered and for many people who drank it he also made it taste good and can be bought at a cheaper price. And this is the beginning of the yakult.
In 1935 Yakult was first released in Fukuoka City, Southern Japan. And unlike most people think, the word Yakult is not Japanese. Yakult comes from the Esperanto word "Jahurto" which means Yogurt, for those who do not know is the most papoluar constructed language or language created or just invented by man. And since then it has been the mission of Dr. Shirota will promote Yakult drinking not only in Japan but also around the world.
Also because of the dedication of Dr. Shirota to spread and explain to people the benefits of good bacteria available in drinking Yakult, the branch in Japan became famous. In 1955 when the Yakult Honsha Company was founded in Tokyo, the company also built the famous laboratory now known as the Yakult Central Institute. In 1963 when the company started the unique delivery system that will be one of the keys to its success.
The Yakult Lady System, where Yakult ladies go from house to house or abroad is also called Yakult Aunties to sell drinks. This system has been so effective that we can still see it even here in the Philippines. Honestly I also often shop at the Yakult ladies I see on the street.
WHY YAKULT IS IN A SMALL BOTTLE?
Did you know that the glass bottle really became the first container of the drink we know?
When yakult was released on the market in 1935 it was placed in a 72ml glass bottle. 1968 when they started using plastic bottles, designed by renowned Japanese designer Isamu Kenmonchi. Kenmonchi was inspired by the small circular kokeshi dolls, which are well-known symbols of luck and a good harvest for the Japanese.
But why is the yakult bottle so small? Here are some of the reasons why its bottle is so small.
LIMIT THE CONSUMPTION OF PROBIOTICS
The first reason for the small bottle of yakult, according to its website, is to limit people's consumption of probiotic bacteria. According to the website, a yakult contains 8 billion live bacteria. And they do recommend drinking just one yakult a day.
So they made the bottle smaller because they wanted people to drink one yakult every day rather than drink a lot but rarely. Well, I haven't heard of anyone getting hurt because of drinking too much yakult. At our house, someone can consume a pack of Yakult in one day. But for safety, let's just follow the company's recommendation.
The company is really worried about people who make Yakult just like water so they remind them not to do it with thirst. Also think about its sugar content, maybe if you increase your intake, your stomach will be healthy but your sugar level will be tilted.
AVOID CONTAMINATION
Another reason why yakult bottles are small, according to yakult Malaysia and Australia is to avoid contamination. According to yakult Malaysia, the small bottle is more hygienic. Because if the bottle is large, there is a possibility that it will not be consumed immediately and may be contaminated with other bacteria.
Yakult Australia added that the frequent opening and closing of the yakult bottle will also reduce the probiotic bacteria in it, as well as the air-borne bacteria which will greatly affect the quality of the drink.
PRICE
One of the missions of Dr. Shirota from the beginning was to deliver the yakult to more people, so he made sure the price was affordable. And this is also one of the reasons why the bottle of yakult is so small, because if the company puts the yakult in a larger bottle it means that its price will be more expensive and it may not be able to be bought by more people. Yakult bottle sizes also vary in different countries.
Unlike the usual 80ml bottles, the yakult is smaller in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, where it will be sold in 62ml bottles. While a little bigger can be bought in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China where the drink can be bought in 100ml bottles. Apart from the larger bottle, only in Singapore can you buy other Yakult flavors that besides the original also have Orange, Grape, Green and Apple Flavor.
As of now, 40 million yakults are consumed every day worldwide. It's just fun to think how a simple wish of a doctor to help his countrymen to have a healthy stomach has created a successful company that will last 80 years and still be at the forefront of providing probiotic drinks not only in Japan but worldwide.
Your a good writter broh..