Yakult Honsha European Research Centre

Yakult Honsha European Research Centre is the European research unit of Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., the Japanese company behind the iconic probiotic milk beverage Yakult. According to Wikidata, the centre is a company located in Ghent, Belgium. It operates as part of the wider Yakult Group, whose European commercial and production activities are coordinated through Yakult Europe BV in Almere, the Netherlands. The centre's work is closely tied to the scientific legacy of Dr. Minoru Shirota, the microbiologist who developed the Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain and created Yakult in 1935. Yakult Honsha was founded in 1955, the same year Dr. Shirota established the Yakult Central Institute, which continues to conduct cutting-edge research. The European Research Centre works alongside the Central Institute to deepen understanding of gut health and the idea that a healthy gut contributes to a long life. Yakult's European presence began in 1991, when the company decided to expand into Europe and selected the Netherlands as its production base, largely because of the high quality of drinking water in Almere. The first European Yakult products were produced there in 1994. Today Yakult products are sold in 40 countries and regions worldwide, with more than 40 million Yakult dairy products consumed daily. The European Research Centre in Ghent forms part of this global network, supporting the company's probiotic product range, which includes fermented milk drinks and yoghurts made with L. casei Shirota, as well as products containing B. breve Yakult in Japan. As a research-focused entity, the centre does not primarily sell consumer products under its own name. Instead, it contributes scientific evidence and product development support to the Yakult brand across Europe, reinforcing the company's positioning around preventive health, intestinal microbiology, and everyday probiotic consumption.

Yakult Honsha European Research Centre is the European research entity of Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., the Japanese company founded in 1955 by microbiologist Dr. Minoru Shirota. Dr. Shirota had developed the Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain and created the Yakult probiotic milk beverage in 1935. In 1955 he also founded the Yakult Central Institute, which remains a centre of cutting-edge research. The European Research Centre, based in Ghent, Belgium, extends this scientific mission into Europe, working alongside the Central Institute to enhance knowledge of gut health and the concept that a healthy gut leads to a long life. The centre's history is intertwined with Yakult's broader European expansion. In 1991 the company decided to enter the European market and chose the Netherlands as its production location, with the high quality of drinking water in Almere cited as the most important selection criterion. The first Yakult products for the European market were produced in the Netherlands in 1994. Yakult Europe BV, headquartered in Almere, remains the main production location for Yakult products in Europe and coordinates the company's European websites and operations. As Yakult's European sales and production grew, the need for local scientific capability increased. The Yakult Honsha European Research Centre in Ghent was established to support research into probiotics, intestinal microbiota, and the health benefits of L. casei Shirota. It forms part of the global Yakult research network anchored by the Yakult Central Institute in Japan. Together, these institutes continue to study the relationship between gut health and overall well-being, a core theme of Yakult's corporate messaging. Today Yakult products are sold in 40 countries and regions worldwide, with more than 40 million Yakult dairy products enjoyed daily. The European Research Centre contributes to this global effort by generating and applying scientific knowledge that supports the Yakult brand's probiotic product range in Europe, including fermented milk drinks and yoghurts made with L. casei Shirota.

• 1994

  The first Yakult products for the European market are produced in the Netherlands.

• 1991

  Yakult decides to enter the European market and selects the Netherlands as its production location.

• 1955

  Yakult Honsha is founded and Dr. Shirota establishes the Yakult Central Institute.

• 1935

  Dr. Minoru Shirota creates Yakult, the probiotic milk beverage made with Lactobacillus casei Shirota.

Scientific research and development unit supporting Yakult's probiotic and gut-health products in Europe.

1. 1Homepage - Yakult Corporateyakulteurope.com
2. 2Yakult History - Yakult Corporateyakulteurope.com
3. 3About us - Yakult Corporateyakulteurope.com
4. 4Our products - Yakult Corporateyakulteurope.com
5. 5Yakult Honsha European Research Centre (Belgium) - Wikidatawikidata.org