Kikkoman Corporation of Japan and NIZO of the Netherlands are pleased to announce that their R&D collaboration has resulted in a new soy milk-yoghurt drink to be launched in Japan in August 2017. Thanks to Kikkoman’s expertise with soy ingredients and soy fermentation and NIZO’s expertise with lactic acid bacteria technologies, a great tasting soy milk-yoghurt drink was developed and is ready to launch.

Kikkoman wanted to create a new soy milk-yoghurt drink, but needed a lactic acid strain capable of fermenting soybean and providing great taste. NIZO was identified as a partner who could provide dairy-derived strains and support Kikkoman by providing expertise with natural selection techniques used to select strains that grow well on soybean and produce great taste. The NIZO strain collection contains strains isolated from a variety of food sources, and is particularly rich in strains that are suitable for dairy and other food fermentation. The R&D collaboration resulted in Kikkoman's current application for an international patent. The two companies have concluded an exclusive licensing agreement for the NIZO-derived strains used in the fermentation.