According to the EFSA Register of Questions, the proposed claim is: “Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, as present in a fermented milk product and helps maintain the normal conditions of upper respiratory tract (URT)”.
Yakult was founded over 70 years ago by Dr Minoru Shirota – while working at the Kyoto Imperial University's School of Medicine. He became the first person to successfully culture a strain of lactic acid bacteria with benefits for human health.