Health Supplements Trigger 100 Japanese Citizens to be Hospitalized, 2 Reportedly Died
Supplement illustration. (Photo: Getty Images/Vladimir Zubkov)
- The health supplement is believed to have caused 100 people to be hospitalized due to kidney failure and 2 people to die. Reports of additional cases were disclosed directly by the drug manufacturer and the Japanese Ministry of Health on Tuesday (26/3), amidst increasing concerns about the safety of the product.
One person was reported by the Osaka-based drugmaker to have died of kidney disease after taking 'beni-koji' or red yeast rice supplements for about three years. The second death was reported to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare after a hearing with the company.
The number of people hospitalized after taking the supplement has jumped to 106. The government said it would carry out emergency checks on types of food that offer health benefits under producer responsibility, a category that includes around 6,000 products.
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The previously reported fatal case is the first known death linked to supplements containing red yeast rice or beni koji after Kobayashi Pharmaceutical last week voluntarily recalled five products, including about 300,000 packets of "beni-koji choleste help."which is labeled as useful in lowering cholesterol.
"The individual is said to have ordered a total of 35 "choleste help" packages regularly from April 2021 to February 2024," the company said, adding that it was examining a causal link between the person's consumption and death in February, quotedfrom Japan Today, Wednesday (27/3).
The Japanese drugmaker was notified of the death via an email from the family on Saturday.
However, it was only on Monday that the message was noticed because it was flooded with questions from the public.
The company then met with bereaved family members in the first reported death on Tuesday, to confirm the individual's symptoms and other details regarding how the supplement was consumed.
According to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the problematic batch of beni-koji was produced at a factory in Osaka.
The second death was confirmed after the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs Agency conducted a hearing with officials of the pharmaceutical company to determine whether the company had responded to the case appropriately in accordance with the law.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has asked all companies that supply beni-koji to voluntarily recall products using the same ingredient, as the incident impacts a range of products including sake, confectionery, bread and miso.
The nationwide voluntary recall has been expanded to include foods and condiments that contain beni-koji as an ingredient, as it is used for various purposes such as coloring and flavoring.
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In China, online sales of products subject to a voluntary recall from the drugmaker have been suspended, local media said. The product has also been withdrawn from distribution in Taiwan.
Chinese media suggested the possibility that the beni-koji fermentation process could produce the toxic substance citrinin which can cause kidney disease, but Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said the material produced by the company does not contain citrinin.
The health supplement is believed to have caused 100 people to be hospitalized due to kidney failure and 2 people to die. Reports of additional cases were disclosed directly by the drug manufacturer and the Japanese Ministry of Health on Tuesday (26/3), amidst increasing concerns about the safety of the product.
One person was reported by the Osaka-based drugmaker to have died from kidney disease after taking 'beni-koji' or red yeast rice supplements for about three years. The second death was reported to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare after a hearing with the company.
The number of people hospitalized after taking the supplement has jumped to 106. The government said it would carry out emergency checks on types of food that offer health benefits under producer responsibility, a category that includes around 6,000 products.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The previously reported fatal case is the first known death linked to supplements containing red yeast rice or beni koji after Kobayashi Pharmaceutical last week voluntarily recalled five products, including about 300,000 packets of "beni-koji choleste help."which is labeled as useful in lowering cholesterol.
"The individual is said to have ordered a total of 35 "choleste help" packages regularly from April 2021 to February 2024," the company said, adding that it was examining a causal link between the person's consumption and death in February, quotedfrom Japan Today, Wednesday (27/3).
The Japanese drugmaker was notified of the death via an email from the family on Saturday. However, it was only on Monday that the message was noticed because it was flooded with questions from the public.
The company then met with bereaved family members in the first reported death on Tuesday, to confirm the individual's symptoms and other details regarding how the supplement was consumed. According to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the problematic batch of beni-koji was produced at a factory in Osaka.
The second death was confirmed after the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs Agency conducted a hearing with officials of the pharmaceutical company to determine whether the company had responded to the case appropriately in accordance with the law.
Product recall is carried out
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has asked all companies that supply beni-koji to voluntarily recall products using the same ingredient, as the incident impacts a range of products including sake, confectionery, bread and miso.
The nationwide voluntary recall has been expanded to include foods and condiments that contain beni-koji as an ingredient, as it is used for various purposes such as coloring and flavoring.
In China, online sales of products subject to a voluntary recall from the drugmaker have been suspended, local media said. The product has also been withdrawn from distribution in Taiwan.
Chinese media suggested the possibility that the beni-koji fermentation process could produce the toxic substance citrinin which can cause kidney disease, but Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said the material produced by the company does not contain citrinin.