Five people have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized in the week since Japan’s health supplement product recall began
TOKYO — Five people have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized after taking a Japanese health supplement as of Friday, a week after the drug company announced a product recall.
Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical was criticized for not disclosing the problem promptly even though it was aware of the problem internally in January. The first announcement was made on March 22nd.
The death toll earlier this week was two. Company officials updated the death toll to five on Friday, with 114 people in hospital after ingesting products containing an ingredient called red yeast rice, a type of red mold (such as Red Yeast Choleste Help, which is meant to lower cholesterol). He announced that he was undergoing treatment.
The manufacturer says some people have developed kidney problems after taking the supplement, but the exact cause is still being investigated in collaboration with government research institutes.
“We deeply apologize,” President Akihiro Kobayashi told reporters on Friday, emphasizing his apology by bowing his head for a long time along with three other executives.
He expressed his regrets to those who died or fell ill and their families. He also apologized to the entire health food industry and medical professionals for the great inconvenience caused, and added that he would work to prevent further damage and strengthen crisis management.
The company’s products have been recalled, as have dozens of other products containing red yeast rice, including miso, crackers and vinegar dressings. Japan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare posted a list of recalled products on its official website, including products that use red yeast rice as a food coloring agent.
The ministry warned that the death toll could continue to rise. These supplements can be purchased at drugstores without a doctor’s prescription, and some may have been purchased or exported before the recall, including by tourists who were unaware of the health risks.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has been selling Benikoji products for many years, selling 1 million packages in the past three fiscal years, but the problem crept into the supplement being produced in 2023. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced that it produced 18.5 tons of red mallow last year.
Some analysts blame recent deregulatory efforts that have simplified and sped up approval of health products to promote economic growth.
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Yuri Kageyama appears on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
