Space Yogurt

Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 1, 2006 in Science |

“The Dregs of Sake” sounds like it would be a great name for a band (or a fun drinking game):

Space Yogurt Made With Astro-Bacteria

“Space Yogurt from Himawari Dairy is now available in Japan. Himawari Dairy, a Kochi-area dairy manufacturer, reserved a seat aboard a Soyuz rocket that took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome this spring. The “passengers” were two strains of bacteria: lactic acid bacteria used in ordinary yogurt and a unique strain of Lactobacillus paracasei cultured from pickles preserved in the dregs of sake (called sake lees), which is thought to enhance the body’s immunity to disease.

Cosmic radiation was expected to have an effect on the bacteria. “Lactic acid bacteria is delicate, so we are looking forward to seeing what happens,” says company president Bunjiro Yoshizawa. “It will be nice if space travel improves the yogurt’s flavor and boosts its immunity-enhancing properties”.”

This who can read Japanese should visit the Himawari Dairy website.

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