If you’re looking for something different to do with the kids, somewhere interesting to take them that offers a different yet fun and educational experience, then boy oh boy have we got something for you! The Yakult factory in Dandenong in Victoria offers Yakult Factory Tours for families and school groups so I pulled together a group of us and decided we’d put it through its paces. Now this is for anyone looking for something unique to do over the school holidays – or any day, really, – add a guided factory tour to the list and we’re sure you’re going to be on a winner!
Check out our highlights reel below and find out more about why a Yakult Factory tour makes for a refreshing field trip for families, friends and schools. Even my two teen boys loved it … and that’s saying something! Best of all, they’re totally FREE!
Let’s go behind the scenes on a Yakult Factory Tour!
No doubt you’re familiar with Yakult—it’s a household name that has been delighting taste buds for over 60 years! Get ready to discover the secret behind its iconic probiotic goodness and join us on a journey that combines science, health, and deliciousness.
Let’s dive into the world of Yakult together!
If you haven’t tasted it before, it tastes like a pine-lime splice and is actually quite tasty. Not only will it aid with digestion, it increases the number of beneficial bacteria in your intestines. In fact, each 65ml bottle contains 6.5 billion of these highly acid-resistant bacteria, exclusive to Yakult.
Think of it as your daily probiotic drink … a little taste of goodness our digestive systems need. Yakult contains a very high concentration of the unique bacterium Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota (LcS, named after Dr Shirota who first discovered the unique LcS strain in 1930. The beneficial bacteria strain in Yakult is scientifically proven to survive the journey through the gastric juices to reach the small intestine alive. Something quite unique and hard to do. It positively alters the bacteria in our gut and improves stool consistency too!
FUN FACT:
Over 40 million people enjoy Yakult daily in 40 countries around the world!
At Mum Central we’re big fans of Yakult, even making tasty recipes with both the Yakult LIGHT and Yakult Original.
But did you know that Yakult opens their factory doors to the public, to showcase the science behind Yakult in an interactive and fun way, giving you some further insight into how the magic happens?
You can book a traditional in-person Yakult Factory Tour or opt for an online version – the Yakult virtual factory tour. Bookings are essential and subject to availability as it is a working factory and they cannot accept walk-ins.
Alternatively, if it’s during the school holidays, you can opt for their school holiday program tour (which runs for two hours including activities). Each of the tours is free to attend and available in both English and Mandarin.Â
FUN FACT:
Over 300,000 bottles of Yakult are sold daily in Australia!
The Mum Central crew went on a guided one-hour Yakult Factory Tour which transported us into a unique world that captured the attention of adults and kids of all ages.
We weren’t really sure what to expect, to be honest, but let’s just say we walked away really impressed and actually had a whole lot of fun!! Even the teens!!
What to Expect on a Yakult Factory Tour
We loved the first part of the tour, which was essentially the Augmented Reality (AR) section, where you could turn a static image of the bottle on the wall into a flying Yakult bottle with overhead music which the kids just loved. There was also a huge wall of recyclable Yakult bottles, which really was quite artistic and the kids just loved it and of course, we couldn’t resist a photo by the big bottle of Yakult either!
The first manufacturing window was actually where they made all of their own Yakult bottles. Essentially they ship in the plastic pallets and melt it down to create all of their own Yakult bottles. They then travel overhead to the other side of the factory, and shortly after their manufacture, they get filled with fresh Yakult. It’s a BIG NOD to sustainability, and the fact that they manufacture on-site from start to finish!
FUN FACT:
Yakult manufacture the bottles onsite just before they’re filled!
Then we got to witness the fermentation and culture side of Yakult where they put the mixture into giant stainless steel vats where they sit for a set period of time before they it’s ready to be bottled and shipped. The kids were fascinated (and so were we!)
We watched the bottles travel along the conveyor belt, move into the packaging room and watch them then move onto pallets in the cold storage room.
It was a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about large-scale manufacturing, but also to see what goes on behind the scenes around the quick turnaround, so that Yakult can hit the supermarket floor as quickly as possible as they have a 45-day shelf life from manufacture.
We then went upstairs to learn more about the quality control process, and stringent product testing and the kids even got to meet the super cool Yakult Man Blue! We learned about the importance of probiotics and why Yakult’s unique bacterium Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Shirota.
Then it was off to the Education Room for a taste test where we all got to try freshly made Yakult ORIGINAL and Yakult Light, plus we all received a goodie bag too! If you have time (and we’re sure for schools) they have a craft activity with loads of tables and chairs where you can sit down and do some activities before finishing your tour!
FUN FACT:
In Japan, over 9 MILLION bottles of Yakult are sold daily!
Yakult Factory Tour Review
All up there were 8 of us on our tour, 4 adults and 4 kids.
What our mums had to say about their Yakult Factory Tour:
Estela, mum of 2 girls
The Yakult Factory Tour offers a combination of education, engagement, and family bonding, making it an excellent option for parents to consider. It allows for an enjoyable and enriching experience that aligns with both the educational and recreational aspects of a family outing.
Belinda, mum of 2 boys
Hands down the Yakult Factory Tour was a really engaging and unique experience. Not only did we see first hand how it’s made but we walked away with a whole new appreciation for the science and impact Yakult has on millions of people around the world each day. Highly recommended for families and school excursions!
What the kids had to say about their Yakult Factory Tour
It’s very interesting, you get to come along and find out about what goes into Yakult, the manufacturing process and why it’s so important for us. Overall it was really great experience. James, 13
I really enjoyed the science section, learning about the quality and of course meeting the Yakult Man was so exciting! Alex, 11
It’s amazing to see how my favourite Yakult probiotic drink is made! Leanne, 9
The Yakult tour is so fun and the Yakult drink is yummy! Laura, 7
My family and I had an amazing time during the Yakult Factory Tour. There were several highlights throughout the day, but if I were to pick our favourite parts, I’d say they were the interactive bottling process, educational exhibits and the sampling of fresh Yakult. I’d rate the Yakult Factory Tour 10 out of 10 based on its educational value and engaging activities. I highly recommend it to everyone. You’ll love it as much as we did! Estela, mum of 2
Learn more and book your Yakult Factory Tour today!
If you are after something a bit different to do with the kids, then we highly recommend booking a FREE Yakult Factory Tour. And, for all of our teachers out there, they also offer school tours too! Bookings are essential as they are proving to be VERY popular and do book out, plus they also offer Virtual Factory Tours too for a remote learning experience. Find out more and book your spot on the Yakult website.
To find out more about why Yakult is so beneficial to your health, check out:Â What Does Your Stool Say About You? Improve Digestive Health with This Daily Habit
We also have our Real Mum Review on Yakult Light plus some tasty Yakult-inspired recipes to try:
- Healthier No-Bake Cheesecake Cups For the Easy Dessert Win!
- Cute and Delicious Cake Pops with a Twist – Party Perfect!
- Frozen Fruity Yoghurt Bark – The Clever Snack with a Cheeky Twist!
This is a sponsored post for Yakult. All opinions are those of our two reviewer families.
