Kobayashi Pharmaceutical recalls cholesterol-lowering supplements containing ‘beni koji’ due to a probable relation to kidney illness.
IN SHORT
• Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has issued a nationwide recall of three dietary supplements containing the ingredient “beni koji” due to potential links to two deaths and over 100 hospitalizations.
• The supplements, which contain red yeast rice, are believed to lower bad cholesterol levels.
• The company, which sells over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements, has issued the recall.
• A person who had been regularly purchasing “beni-koji” for nearly three years died of kidney disease, leading to a second death.
• The company supplied red yeast rice to about 50 other firms in Japan and two in Taiwan.
• China has suspended online sales of the recalled products, and Taiwan has removed them from circulation.
• Health minister Keizo Takemi has stated that the ministry will cooperate with Osaka city to investigate the cause and prevent further health-related damage.
News agency Kyodo reports that Japan has issued a nationwide recall of a cholesterol-lowering dietary supplement due to concerns about its potential link to two fatalities and more than 100 hospitalizations.
The three recalled items, “beni koji choleste help” and two similarly named supplements, contain red yeast rice, often known as “beni koji”. Fermenting rice produces it, which is believed to lower harmful cholesterol levels.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, which offers over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements, has issued a national recall, and officials are performing emergency checks on hundreds of goods that claim to have health benefits, according to Kyodo.
The Osaka-based drugmaker reported one of the deaths, stating that the individual had been purchasing “beni-koji” on a daily basis for over three years and died from kidney disease.
We are now aware of one case in which there may be a causative link between a fatality and our product,” the business said in a statement. “We are currently investigating the link and what happened,” it stated, expressing “deepest apologies”.
Kyodo reported a second death to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare after a hearing with the corporation.
“The total number of suspected deaths two,” top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, adding that “106 cases of potentially linked hospitalisation also came to light.”
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical stated that it supplied red yeast rice to around 50 other enterprises in Japan and two in Taiwan. Various items such as sake, confectionary, bread, miso, and spice also utilize this component.
Kyodo reports that China has halted online sales of the recalled products, and Taiwan has removed them from circulation.
Health Minister Keizo Takemi stated that the ministry will work with Osaka city to examine the reason and prevent further health-related damage.
Customers complained of renal problems, so the manufacturer voluntarily recalled its items on Friday.
It stated on Monday that it had not made a decision regarding the link between the health problems and its supplements. However, the study revealed that the items may have contained “ingredients we had not intended to include.”
The fermentation process can produce a toxin called citrinin, which can harm the kidneys; however, the business said its analysis found no citrinin.