ENTREPRENEUR OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCT

Meaning of manufacturing product. (YAKULT)

The process of converting raw materials, components, or parts into finished goods that meet a customer's expectations or specifications. Manufacturing commonly employs a man-machine setup with division of labor in a large scale production.

Entrepreneur for this manufacturing is : 

Name : Shirota Minoru

Born : 23 April 1899 in Iida, Nagano, Japan

Died : 10 March 1982 (aged 82) in Konkaikōmyō-ji, Kyoto, Japan

Occupation : Microbiologist

Known for : Invention of Yakult

How his find Yakult

Dr. Shirota became convinced that beneficial bacteria were the key to a long and healthy life; with the potential to improve health standards. His determination led to a breakthrough in 1930, when he successfully researched a unique lactic acid bacterium with the ability to survive the acidic conditions of the stomach. The bacterium was named the Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain in honour of his research.

Biography

Shirota was born in Inadani, a village near River Inadani Tenryuu in the area lida, Western Nagano, Japan. His family was prosperous in paper and silk worm-rearing business. His ambition turned to medicine as a number of children died in his village due to infectious diseases and malnutrition. In 1921 he entered Kyoto Imperial University’s School of Medicine. In 1940 he earned a PhD in medicine, and joined the faculty of medicine at Kyoto University. During the Japanese invasion of China, he was appointed as a military doctor. Then he became a professor at the University Medical Harupin, China. After the war he returned to Japan to establish Shirota Research Centre in 1939. In 1950 he started Yakult company. In 1955 he moved its company headquarters in Tokyo.

Career

Inspired by the writings of Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Shirota developed a stronger strain of lactic acid bacteria which might work to destroy the harmful bacteria living in the intestines, and therefore improve and maintain the health of human beings. In 1930, Shirota was working in a microbiology lab at Kyoto Imperial University's School of Medicine when he became the first in the world to succeed in culturing a strain of lactic acid bacteria beneficial to human health. This bacterium was named Lactobacillus casei strain shirota after Shirota. The result of his efforts was the successful culturing of Lactobacillus casei strain shirota. Shirota then began working together with supporters to make a drink incorporating the strain. This led to the development of Yakult which was introduced to the market in 1935.

Personal life

In 1939, Shirota married Yoshie, with whom he had one son. They lived in Kamigyō-ku in Kyoto. Yoshie died in 1941.

He died in Tokyo, Japan in 1982.

About Yakult manufacturing

The yogurt-like probiotic drink that containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota

The Yakult that we drink now was produced in Malaysia from high quality, carefully selected ingredients from around the world and packages in our technologically advanced local manufacturing facility, incorporating some of the latest food processing equipment

The Yakult factory in Malaysia is located in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

Benefits of Yakult

Yakult is a delicious probiotic drink that helps improve digestion and helps build Immunity. Yakult contains 6.5 billion beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota) that reach our intestines alive and restore the balance of the beneficial or friendly bacteria in the gut. Yakult bottle also been produce by the same facility to improve the high quality of product. The Yakult bottle for each country is different from other country.