Response to Channel 7 News Report ‘European Community Lifts Lid on False Probiotic Claims’

On May 11th 2016, Channel 7 News featured a report on probiotics and claimed ‘probiotic drinks have no effect on the gut bacteria of healthy adults’. This report, along with other articles you may have read in newspapers across Australia have been generated in response to an article published by researchers at the University of Copenhagen in the online journal Genome Medicine.

This was not a new piece of research; it was a review of seven previously published papers assessing seven different strains of probiotics. Most of the products reviewed were capsules; one product was a sachet, another was a biscuit and only one was a probiotic drink.

This review did not assess any research on Yakult or the Shirota strain.

Yakult Australia is disappointed in the standard of this story, given that all the products featured on Channel 7, including Yakult were not included in the Copenhagen study. We are taking all necessary steps to correct comments made in the media in relation to Yakult.

A crucial point for a probiotic is to show a health benefit through the consumption of a specific strain. The Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain, unique to Yakult has over 280 peer-reviewed research articles showing its long history of safe and effective use.

We hope this information restores trust in our consumers, if you have any questions please contact us on our free call number 1800 640 023.

For anyone interested they can access the full study here.