At least two people have died in Japan and 100 have been hospitalized due to a series of dietary supplements containing red yeast rice that have now been recalled, Japan’s health ministry said on Wednesday.
One person died on Tuesday, according to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the company responsible, and Japan’s health ministry confirmed a second death after a meeting with company officials.
Both men were believed to have taken a cholesterol-lowering supplement regularly in recent years, and authorities said they suspect the deaths may be linked to the product, although they are investigating details of the cases and possible connections.
The company has received more than 3,000 emails since the recall was announced last Friday, but was only able to confirm the first death this week, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said.
Another 106 people were hospitalized in connection with the products, although the patients’ conditions are unknown and there is no public information about other consumers who have experienced health problems possibly caused by the supplements without being hospitalized.
Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Keizo Takemi criticized the company’s actions outside public health authorities on Tuesday: “I regret that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical did not provide relevant information to the authorities during the investigation,” he said at a news conference. press conference.
“We will try to ensure public health and food safety and stop the damage from spreading while we investigate the cause and recall the products,” he added.
Health problems could be caused by foods containing red yeast rice (“beni-koji” in Japanese), a type of rice yeast that turns reddish in color when fermented.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has decided to voluntarily recall five products, including 300,000 packs of tablets sold as a cholesterol-lowering supplement, of which, as of last month, the company had sold 1.06 million packs since the product launched in 2021.
The company launched an investigation after a doctor informed it of health problems apparently related to the use of the product, including symptoms such as fatigue or kidney dysfunction.
In addition to the products mentioned above, the company has distributed red yeast rice to 52 other Japanese and foreign companies, which have also been asked to recall the products from the market in case they may also be affected by an unknown harmful ingredient causing problems.
Japanese soy sauce maker Fujiyoshi Soy Sauce has announced a recall of two of its products, Genki Miso and Miso Kabosu Dressing, which contain red yeast rice from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, although it has not confirmed any health incidents related to consumption.
China has suspended online sales of products subject to a voluntary recall, local media reported. The product has also been recalled in Taiwan.