Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press
19 minutes ago
Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare officials head to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Osaka factory to conduct an on-site inspection in Osaka, Saturday, March 30, 2024. Japanese government health authorities raided a factory manufacturing health supplements on Saturday, saying they were responsible for the deaths. Multiple people have been infected and more than 100 others are hospitalized.
TOKYO (AP) – Japanese government health authorities said Saturday that a raid on a factory that makes health supplements left at least five people dead and more than 100 hospitalized.
The attack, in which more than a dozen people wearing dark suits solemnly entered Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Osaka factory, was widely reported on Japanese television news, including public broadcaster NHK.
The company says little is known about the exact causes of the disease, including kidney failure. Investigation regarding this product is ongoing in collaboration with government health authorities.
All of our supplements use “red yeast'', a type of red mold. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's pink pill called Benikouji Choleste Help was advertised as helping to lower cholesterol levels.
Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said it has sold about 1 million packages in the past three fiscal years. The company also sells red yeast rice to other manufacturers, and some products are exported. Supplements can be purchased at drug stores without a doctor's prescription.
Red yeast rice has been used in a variety of products for years, but reports of health issues surfaced in 2023.
The company's president, Akihiro Kobayashi, apologized for not acting sooner. The recall took place on March 22, two months after the company received an official medical report on the issue.
The company announced Friday that five people have died and 114 people are being treated in hospitals after ingesting the product. Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare said the supplements were to blame for the deaths and illnesses, and warned that the number of people affected could rise further.
Some analysts blame recent deregulatory efforts that have simplified and sped up approval of health products to promote economic growth. However, in Japan, where government inspections of consumer products are relatively strict, fatal accidents involving mass-produced products are rare.
The government has ordered a review of the approval system in response to supplement-related illnesses. The report is expected to be submitted in May.
___
Yuri Kageyama appears on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
