Since its establishment in June 1976, the institute’s import-substituting effect of yogurt strains in monetary value has exceeded 200 billion won. (image: Korea Yakult Central Research Institute)
SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) – A major hub of lactobacillus research, the Korea Yakult Central Research Institute, celebrated its 40th anniversary Thursday.
Since its establishment in June 1976, the institute’s import-substituting effect of yogurt strains in monetary value has exceeded 200 billion won. The institute, which was modeled after the Pasteur Institute in France, freed Korea from a heavy reliance on imports from countries like the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
The institute succeeded in developing bifidobacterium strains in 1995 for the first time in Korean history. It also established a library of strains of over 4,000 types with 139 patent registrations and 56 patented strains, and developed 22 lactobacilli for product application.
It also manufactured popular fermented milk products such as Yakult, Will, and Kupffer’s. Over 3.4 billion units of the institute’s Helicobacter Project Will, which used five of the institute’s patented technologies, have been sold since its release 16 years ago.
Over 3.4 billion units of the institute’s Helicobacter Project Will, which used five of the institute’s patented technologies, have been sold since its release 16 years ago. (image: Korea Yakult)
The institute has recently expanded the scope of its work to high-level probiotics research, including skin moisturizing and neutral fat reduction. It also filed a patent for a lactobacillus that can help reduce bad breadth, in February.
Ahn Young-Tae, the institute’s food products executive, was even listed on Marquis Who’s Who in April 2015 for his research on probiotics lactobacillus and fermented milk. Marquis Who’s Who is one of the world’s top three biographic directories alongside the American Biographical Institute and Cambridge International Biographical Centre.
“Discovering useful microorganisms contributes greatly to securing national resources, which is why the institute’s 40-year anniversary and its achievements are particularly significant,” said Shim Jae-heon, head of the institute.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
