Yakult's "purpose built" factory in Dandenong is a technologically advanced manufacturing facility. It incorporates some of the latest food processing equipment. Strict standards apply to producing Yakult, ensuring a drink yield that is close to 99% (this means that 99% of the raw ingredients end up in the bottle.) There are no by-products and little waste. The Yakult factory in Australia, is based in Victoria and makes Yakult for the whole of Australia.
1.
Mixing of Raw Ingredients
Skim milk powder, sugar and dextrose are mixed with filtered, sterilised water to make a sweet milky solution.
2.
Sterilisation
The sweet, milky solution is sterilised at a high temperature for a short time, destroying any bacteria that may be present. This process is called UHTST (Ultra Heat Treatment, Short Time). The solution is then transferred to a 6,000-litre fermentation tank via a closed system of pipes and valves.
3.
Fermentation Tank
Live Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain, cultured and tested in our laboratory, is added to the tank. The temperature of the tank is then reduced until the contents are at 37°C (body temperature). The solution is allowed to ferment in the tank for 6-9 days or until the numbers of Lactobacillus casei bacteria reach their ideal concentration.
4.
Control Panel
This machine is fully computerized and controls the flow of production. Different coloured lights indicate any areas that need attention.
5.
Flavour Tank
Citrus flavour is added to the concentrate.
6.
Storage Tank
The flavoured, concentrate is transferred to a 12,000 litre storage tank, containing a chilled syrup solution. The tank is chilled to around 2°C.
7.
Water Steriliser
Yakult uses water that is de-mineralised (any dissolved chlorides and fluorides are removed) by a process called "reverse osmosis". The water is then UV sterilised, after which it is stored in a 25,000 litre holding tank before being used in the production process.
8.
Mixing Tank
Prior to bottling, the concentrate is diluted with filtered, sterile water at a ratio of 1:1.
9.
Injection Blow Moulding Machine
The plastic bottles are produced, on site, from triple grade food polystyrene.
The injection blow-moulding machine has the capacity to produce 10,000 bottles per hour.
10.
Bottle Storage Tank
Extra bottles are made and stored in a large, sterile bottle storage tank that is capable of storing 780,000 bottles, enough for one week of production and bottling of Yakult.
11.
Selector
Bottles drop down a large funnel from the bottle storage tank into a large circular selector which places the bottles in an upright position before being fed onto the filling line.
12.
Printing Station
Bottles move along the conveyer belt to the printing station where the name "Yakult" and the appropriate labelling information required by law, are printed on the bottle in an instant-drying, red ink.
13.
Filling, Capping & Sealing Machine
The filling machine has the capacity to fill 36,000 bottles of Yakult per hour.
After the bottles are filled with Yakult, they are capped with a foil lid, printed with a use-by date, sealed and transferred along the conveyor belt to the packaging facility.
14.
Shrink-Wrap & Packaging Machine
It is here that the single bottles of Yakult are sorted into groups of five and shrink-wrapped in polyethylene film. 10 x five packs are grouped together and wrapped again in polyethylene film and then heat shrunk, forming a "slab" of 50 Yakult bottles.
15.
Finished Product
16.
Refrigeration Room
The slabs are transferred to a pallet, wrapped and stored at a temperature of 2-3°C whilst awaiting delivery to the stores.
17.
Distribution
Refrigerated trucks deliver Yakult to the warehouses of the major supermarket chains (e.g. Safeway / Woolworths and Coles) for distribution to individual supermarkets.Yakult is delivered directly to independent supermarkets, milk bars, gyms, health food stores, motels, hospitals and other outlets by our sales consultants.
18.
Hygiene
Yakult is a fermented milk drink, which contains a live bacterial culture. In order to maintain the high quality of Yakult, strict hygiene standards must be met in the production.
19.
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.
Our 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 markings and incorrect printing.
Quality assurance measures are in place to maintain standards for personnel and factory hygience, equipment cleaning, processing methods and parameters, and product handling. Yakult's quality assurance utlises a system called "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points" (HACCP). The principles of HACCP are internationally recognised as an excellent method for assuring stringently high standards.
20.
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 amount of solid waste is relatively small and a number of measures are made to reduce waste. Recycling occurs where it is economically and environmentally viable. Paper products (skim milk powder bags, etc) are recycled. The bottles are crushed and mixed with other resin to be made into a variety of plastic products, e.g. chairs and tables.
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 to meet Melbourne Water standards before being released into the sewage system.
21.
Energy Management
Yakult has a commitment to using energy efficiently and wisely for sound environmental and economic reasons. The factory incorporates the latest equipment and techniques to reduce the amount of energy used. For example:
•
All fluids are heated using heat exchange plates.
