Yakult Danone to launch new probiotic products

New Delhi: Yakult Danone, the manufacturer of milk-based fermented probiotic drinks, might consider the launch of new products in the Indian market next year, a company official said.

"We may consider the launch of new products in the probiotic drinks space next year. The products will have to sustain the high concentration of probiotic bacteria like the fermented milk-based drink", managing director of Yakult Danone India Minoru Shimada said.

The probiotic drinks manufactured by Yakult Danone suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of digestive disorders, Shimada told reporters here.

The company presently has a manufacturing plant in Haryana with a capacity of two lakh units of bottles per day, he said, adding that it would increase to 2.8 lakh owing to near 100 per cent utilization.

A 50:40 joint venture between Yakult of Japan and Danone of France, the company is targeting the functional foods segment which was developing into an emerging market in India.