Yakult is one of the most popular cultured milk drinks in Malaysia. This comes as no surprise as the drink tastes really good and not to mention good for the body as well. But have you ever wondered why it comes in such tiny bottles that can barely hold two mouthfuls of drink?
Well, Yakult has the perfect reason why their bottles have been the same size all this while.
According to ABS-CBN, Yakult only released 65 milliliter and 100 milliliter bottles in order to reduce the risk of contamination of the probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus paracasei Shirota) in the drink. This is because each bottle contains 6,5 billion live bacteria!
Source: SCMP
The Japanese company also explains that this drink is not supposed to be a “thirst quencher” where consumers gulp down a large amount of it when they are thirsty. They said that Yakult should be consumed additionally, and not in replacement of yoghurt and milk.
“Smaller bottle is more hygienic. A larger bottle that is not finished might be kept open, thus has a bigger risk of infection with other bacteria,” Yakult Malaysia’s Frequently Asked Questions reads.
This was seconded by Yakult Australia, who gave the explanation as to why the bottles were so small.
“Opening and closing a larger bottle on numerous occasions can result in a decrease in the number of live probiotic bacteria due to the introduction of various air-borne bacteria,” Yakult Australia said.
“This is undesirable because bacteria have the potential to compromise the quality of Yakult.”
Source: Asia Nikkei
They also mentioned that the company never released a larger bottle size for the drink as consumers will be consuming more than what’s needed. This is because the amount of bacteria contained in the current size is more than enough to keep someone healthy.
“If Yakult were provided in a larger bottle, people may drink more than needed, and while this is not harmful at all, it can be more expensive,” they said.
Well, there you have it. Everything in that teeny-tiny bottle is all your body needs to stay healthy! Also, try not to leave an open bottle of Yakult unfinished as the bacteria inside will get contaminated.
Also read: S’poreans Are Calling Yakult Straws “Vintage” & Selling Them Online for Up to RM3,000
