PRODUCTION PROCESS OPERATION
This is where the magic begins! Our Yakult products are mixed and fermented in this section of the factory.
MILK
- In the seed tank, the sterilized and cooled starter milk solution is aseptically seeded with live Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) and allowed to ferment at a controlled temperature.
- In the culture tank, sterilized and cooled prepared milk is aseptically seeded with a starter mixture of live Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) at a controlled temperature to initiate the production of the fermented milk base.
SYRUP
In the storage tank, homogenous sugar syrup (Yakult original) or syrup light (Yakult Light) is sterilized and cooled in preparation for the mixing process.
MIXING
At the homogenizer, the pre-cooled fermented milk base from the culture tank is proportionately mixed with either sugar syrup or syrup light, then flavoring is added to produce Yakult concentrate.
BLENDING
In the blending machine, the Yakult concentrate is proportionately combined with filtered, cooled, UV-treated process water to form the Yakult product. It’s then directed into the surge tank where it will be filtered again before being sent to the bottling process.
BOTTLE MAKING PROCESS
Over here is where we make all the iconic Yakult bottles that you know and love!
- In a hygienic environment, polystyrene resin is melted, plasticized, and molded to the unique Yakult bottle form using controlled temperature and pressure. The pre-formed bottles are inspected and then air-conveyed into the bottle storage tank.
- From the bottle storage tank, the pre-formed bottles are drawn in and directed into the unscrambler machine.
BOTTLING PROCESS
This is the last stop for the finished product. Here, the bottles are aseptically filled and sealed ready for your consumption!
- In a hygienic condition, the bottles inside the unscrambler machine are individually lined up in an upright position and are either ink-printed for Yakult Original, or shrink-wrapped for Yakult Light.
- The printed bottles are individually and aseptically filled with Yakult cultured milk using the filling machine and sealed with an aluminum foil cap.
- The filled Yakult bottles are inspected and grouped into 5 then shrink-wrapped with clear or bar-coded packaging. The packs are then shrink-wrapped into groups of 10 before sending to the cold storage room for further cooling.
- The pre-packed Yakult bottles are inspected and counted one last time before it’s loaded into a refrigerated van or reefer van ready for delivery.
Situated in the green countryside near Mt. Makiling, the Yakult Plant in Calamba City, Laguna, is a technologically advanced manufacturing facility. Staffed and operated by qualified personnel, our plant is capable of producing 1.6 million bottles of Yakult a day. All the Yakult distributed throughout the entire Philippines begins from this single place. A consistent, hygienic, and fully computerized production process ensures that the same Yakult goodness goes into each and every bottle.
Its raw ingredients, composed of skimmed milk powder, sugar, and dextrose are blended with sterilized water to create a sweet, milky solution. This sweet milk is heat sterilized before it is transferred to a fermentation tank through a closed system of pipes and valves.
The fermentation tank is where the live Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) is carefully cultured and tested in the laboratory, are introduced. The heat in the tank is lowered to around 37 degrees Celsius, and then the solution is allowed to ferment for 6-9 days, during which the bacteria reach their ideal concentration. Yakult essence is added to the concentrate before being transferred to a chilled storage tank containing a syrup solution.
Finally, a mixing tank blends the concentrate with an equal amount of filtered, sterilized water. The wondrous result is the fermented milk drink Yakult, containing 8 billion live Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS), now waiting to be bottled.
An injection blow-molding machine makes the famous plastic bottles. They are fed into a conveyor belt, and make their first stop at the printing station, where product information is printed on the bottles, along with the celebrated Yakult logo.
After labeling, the bottles are moved on to the filling, capped with a foil lid, and sealed, ready to be enjoyed as the Yakult that has been familiar to millions of Filipinos for the past 33 years.