The research will be conducted with LB Bulgaricum, a state-owned Bulgarian company that sells a range of yogurt, milk, cheese, and butter products under the same name. It also sells probiotics supplements under the brand Proway.
As part of the agreement, both companies will jointly establish a new research centre in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.
Apart from researching lactic acid bacteria, the partnership will also develop a new yogurt starter, as well as collecting new microorganisms from within Bulgaria.
Meiji said that the research would focus on the Bulgarian yogurt, based on existing findings of Ilya Mechnikov – a Nobel prize Laurette who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Paul Ehrlich.
“Meiji is interested in the relationship between gut microbiota and longevity, based on the research of Ilya Mechnikov…And based on his theories, Meiji is further exploring the health benefits of Bulgarian yogurt,” said Yoshie Kogawa from Meiji Co Ltd Public Relations Department.
Mechnikov theorised that health could be enhanced, and senility delayed by manipulating the intestinal microbiome with host-friendly bacteria found in yogurt.
He also believed that production of autotoxins by the colonic microbiome, could be mitigated by inhibiting putrefactive bacteria with lactate-producing bacteria.
In this case, he recommended daily doses of probiotics in the form of soured milk or yogurt prepared by using lactic bacteria, or of pure cultures of the Bulgarian bacillus.
Meiji also said it was especially keen in research on how the gut microbiota could impact both lifespan and healthspan.
“Recent studies have reported that gut microbiota can affect the host’s health and disease through immune modulation, anti-inflammatory effects, and prevention of pathogen infections.
“A healthy gut environment has been shown to promote health and potentially extend lifespan.
“Meiji is particularly interested in extending healthspan, which means not just prolonging life, but aiming to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle for a longer duration,” said Kogawa.
Meiji has also conducted its own research on Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. Bulgaricus. Some of which reported that supplementation of yogurt containing the strain L. bulgaricus OLL 1073R-1 could alleviate symptoms caused by respiratory infections.
There was also research showing how supplementation of the strain could ameliorate summer heat fatigue, with findings published in Nutrients.
Another aim of the joint research is to create new products, but the specific timing for the development and market launch of new products is still under discussion.
However, the company did point out that the new product development process would also focus on the flavours and physical properties of yogurt.
Building on existing partnership
The new research agreement builds on Meiji’s over 50-year-long history of working on yogurt originating from Bulgaria.
Meiji’s first encounter with the Bulgarian yogurt was in 1970, where the company visited the Bulgaria Pavilion during the Osaka Expo.
One of its signature products, Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt launched in 1973, is also manufactured via a brand license granted by LB Bulgaricum.
