We are often asked why we have straws in our 10-pack of Yakult; majority of the time it is in relation to environmental concerns.

Due to the tight seal of the foil cap on the Yakult bottles to prevent the risk of contamination, some people may find it difficult to open. Realising this is an issue for some people, we made the straws an available option for those would like assistance in opening their bottle every day.

Straws are a feature only in the Yakult 10-pack. They are placed between the two 5-bottle rows during the packaging process before they are wrapped together. Straws are not included in Yakult Original and LIGHT 5-packs and may be a suitable alternative if you are concerned with the environmental impact of the straws.

Yakult makes a conscious effort to minimise waste and to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Recycling all appropriate packaging, using energy efficient LED lights and treating water waste on site are just a few examples of our effort to be eco-friendly. For more information regarding ways Yakult make environmental considerations, check out our September 2017 blog or come in for a factory tour where you will have the chance to see the whole manufacturing process and ask questions.

Remember your Yakult bottles are also code 6 recyclable, which some councils will recycle! Make sure you’re doing the right thing with your bottles!

We hear many interesting stories from consumers about how they are including a bottle of Yakult in their daily routine. Incorporating it into a morning breakfast smoothie, with an after-school snack and as part of the nightly setting-the-dinner-table routine are some great examples.

One of the most common stories we hear from children and parents attending our factory tours is that they put theirs in their school lunch box.

We love to hear all of these inspiring stories, but we also like to remind anyone adding Yakult to lunch boxes that it is important to keep your Yakult cold until it can be consumed. This can be tricky at any time of year, particularly in Summer, and we understand the importance of a balanced lunch box. To help with this, we currently have Yakult bottle shaped reusable ice packs that we are offering as promotional items to visitors that attend our factory tours.

If you would like to know more about how differing storage temperatures can affect your Yakult or how to book in for a free factory tour and receive your Yakut bottle shaped reusable ice pack before they run out, please call the Yakult Information Service on 1800 640 023 (a free service from any landline).

We hope you had a wonderful time welcoming the new year. With all the partying, foods and drinks to celebrate, it can be overwhelming for your gut.

Here are a few tips to help get your gut back on track:

1. Drink plenty of fluids

With all the festivities, it is easy to have a few more drinks than usual and forget about the water. Increased levels of alcohol intake coupled with our hot Australian summer can put you at risk of dehydration. Make sure you stay hydrated by including plenty of unsweetened, non-alcoholic fluids. Drinking adequate fluids can also help you achieve and maintain healthy bowel movements.

2. Include a variety of fibrous foods

Fibre can help your gut move regularly and comfortably. Some fibres help keep your bowels moving, while others assist with the ease of its movements. Therefore, it is important to include a wide variety of high fibre foods in your everyday diet such as vegetables, fruit, lentils and legumes, wholegrain breads, pasta and grains.

3. Keep moving so your bowels can too

Staying active can help with healthy digestion and reduce symptoms of bloating. This is not limited to only structured exercise. Find ways in your everyday routine to slip in some extra physical activities. For example, park further away from the destination or use the stairs instead of the lift.

4. Restore balance with a probiotic

Changes in our diet can quickly impact the bacteria in our gut. Taking a probiotic can help restore the balance of good and bad bacteria to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. Drinking 1 bottle of Yakult a day is a tasty way to achieve this.

From all of us at Yakult Australia, we hope you have an AMAZING 2018!

We hope you have been enjoying our Christmas packaging on our 10-packs of Yakult this month!From all of us here at Yakult Australia, we hope your festive season is filled with joy.

The NEW recipe Yakult LIGHT now has 40% LESS CALORIES than our original version!The packaging may look the same on the OUTSIDE and it still contains the 6.5 billion of the beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain INSIDE every 65mL bottle!

We have improved our recipe, so that Yakult LIGHT now has less than 3 grams of sugar in every bottle. That’s at least half the amount of sugar of any other fermented milk drink product!

We have replaced some of the sugar with STEVIA which not only reduces the amount of sugar but also reduces the number of calories and still gives you the same refreshing taste with even LESS SUGAR!

Proudly launched by Yakult Australia this week and now fresh in a supermarket near you!

Try it for yourself today! Now available in stores!

Recently our Education Coordinator attended the 66th Science Talent Search (STS) Exhibition & Presentation Day.

Yakult has been a Major Sponsor of the (STS) for the last decade.

The Science Talent Search aims to encourage interest in the study and communication of science for primary and secondary school students. It promotes student involvement to expand their knowledge and curiosity in regards to science. The public and other students have the opportunity to see the quality of work on display. Students enter competitions in a variety of sections and are honoured for their work.

There were 12 students who received a Bursary Prize from Yakult Australia.

Yakult’s corporate philosophy encompasses contributing to life science and we congratulate all the winners of Bursaries and Yakult are happy to support the Future Up-and-Coming Scientist of Victoria through the Science Talent Search!

Pictured: Samples of the students’ work in the Section entered.

Section Entered: Posters Scientific Wall Charts

Section Entered: Creative Writing

The winners of the Yakult Bottle Cap counting competition from Inside Matters Issue 30 are:

• Nick
• Wendy
• Ray
• Russell
• R.C
• Brendan
• Aubrey
• Domenica
• Irene
• Jean
• Gayle
• G.P
• Ann
• Annmaree
• Eva
• Will
• Chris

The correct answer was 30 Yakult Bottle Caps.

Winners please check your emails and get back to us with your postal address by the 15th of November 2017.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their entries for our competition!

Enjoy your football prize!

This competition was drawn on the 8th November 2017, please see the above blog post for our WINNERS!

To enter our competition, simply count the number of bottle caps (or parts of) and send us your answer.

You go in the draw to win a limited edition Yakult Sherrin PVC 20cm mini yellow Bombers football for the most accurate answer given!

Simply copy the sentence below and fill in the number of bottle caps you can see and send it to info@yakult.com.au by the 8th of November 2017!

“The number of caps (or part of) I can see is…….!”

Good Luck and we look forward to receiving your entries!

Conditions do apply please see issue 30, the Spring/Summer edition of Inside Matters.

Kombucha has gained much popularity among Australians in recent times. The Kombucha we are talking about here is the slightly sweet and tart fizzy drink created by fermenting a sugar-sweetened tea with a mixture of bacteria and yeast known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). It has been hailed for its healing properties. Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence to support this. Some studies which have shown potential benefits of kombucha is limited to rodents.

Kombucha is considered a source of probiotic bacteria. However, most Kombucha contains low numbers of probiotics and do not reach the levels considered adequate to achieve health benefits. If the Kombucha has been pasteurised, it will contain no probiotic bacteria.

There are also safety considerations with kombucha consumption and is not recommended for those with a weakened or compromised immune system. Incorrect preparation or contamination of Kombucha may result in excess alcohol production or cause adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, and liver disease. In rare cases, death associated with Kombucha consumption has also been reported.

Did you know Kombucha is something entirely different in Japan?

In Japan, the Kombucha described above is known as “koncha kinoko” which means “red tea mushroom”. Kombucha translates to “kelp tea”. As the translation suggests, Kombucha in Japan is a tea made from dried and powdered brown kelp. It has a rich umami flavour and a slightly salty taste which some have described as something closer to a soup than a tea. This allows various culinary uses such as enhancing flavours of soups and seasoning dishes.

If you are looking for a reliable source of probiotics, make sure you choose one where you can identify the number and type of probiotic bacteria provided.