Health pills which all share one ingredient linked to five deaths

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A family of Japanese dietary supplements has been recalled after five people died and more than 100 were hospitalized after taking them.

The pill, made by Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, was pulled from shelves last week as health concerns began to grow.

Since then, company officials confirmed 114 people have been hospitalized.

All had ingested products containing a red mold known as moss.

Among them was a supplement called Benikoji Choleste Help, which is advertised as lowering cholesterol.

Several people have developed kidney problems after taking the tablets, and while the exact cause is still under investigation, the manufacturer says the two are linked.

Japan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has warned that some supplements may have been exported or taken out of the country by tourists who were unaware of the health risks.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has been making products using red yeast rice for many years, with 1 million packages sold in the past three years, but the problem appears to have only occurred with a batch made last year.

The company has been heavily criticized for not publicizing concerns sooner after it emerged bosses were aware of the issue in January.

At today’s press conference, President Akihiro Kobayashi bowed his head and expressed his remorse, saying, “I sincerely apologize.”

He expressed his remorse, saying, “Kidney disease caused by ingesting our products has caused pain and anxiety to many people.”

Amid concerns over red yeast rice, dozens of other products containing mold as an ingredient were also recalled.

They include crackers, miso paste, and vinegar dressings, some of which use fungi as food coloring.

The Ministry of Health warned that the death toll could continue to rise as the full extent of the problem becomes clearer.

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