As Yakult marks their 20th birthday in the UK, here's 20 facts you didn't know about these little bottles.
1) In the 1920s, Dr Shirota began his research into lactic acid bacteria
2) In the 1930s, Dr Shirota selected and cultivated a unique strain of bacteria - Lactobacillus casei Shirota
3) One bottle of Yakult contains a minimum of 6.5 billion cells of this unique strain of bacteria
4) 'Yakult' means 'Yogurt' and is taken from the universal language of Esperanto
5) Yakult is not actually yogurt; it is a fermented skimmed milk drink
6) The particular strain of bacteria in Yakult is scientifically proven to reach the gut alive
7) In 1935, the first bottle of Yakult was created and distributed to the general public
8) In 1955, the Yakult research institute was established in Kyoto, Japan
9) In 1963 Dr Shirota set up his pioneering Yakult Ladies delivery scheme employing women to deliver Yakult products door-to-door every day
10) Today, the company employs more than 80,000 Yakult Ladies across the globe
11) In 1994, Yakult Netherlands went into operation - Yakult's first European market
12) In 1996, Yakult was introduced to the UK
13) Yakult Light was introduced to the UK market in 2002
14) Yakult launched in Ireland in 2004
15) Every day, more than 30 million bottles of Yakult are consumed in 33 countries around the world
16) In 2005, the Yakult Honsha European Research Centre for Microbiology ESV was established in Belgium
17) There are no colourings whatsoever in a bottle of Yakult. Its colour is a result of natural caramelisation occurring during the production process.
18) Yakult is fat free, gluten free and suitable for vegetarians
19) Yakult's iconic bottle was developed in 1968 by the award winning designer Isamu Kenmochi, and was based on the shape of the traditional Japanese kokeshi doll.
20) In 2016, Yakult marks its 20th birthday in the UK on 28th January and is available in more than 3000 stores across the UK.
