Global Rice News

Japanese Drugmaker Investigating Potential Link between Dietary Supplements and Deaths

Tokyo, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 29th Mar, 2024) – A Japanese drugmaker is currently investigating five deaths that may be linked to dietary supplements designed to lower cholesterol. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has issued a recall for three brands of over-the-counter tablets after customers reported kidney problems. The company is investigating whether these products, which contain red yeast rice (beni koji), have caused the deaths and approximately 114 hospitalizations.

Medical studies have shown that red yeast rice is effective in lowering cholesterol levels; however, they also highlight the potential risk of organ damage depending on the chemical composition of the ingredient. The situation has caused significant concern in Japan, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledging to explore all possible measures to prevent similar incidents if the products are indeed responsible for the deaths.

During a press conference on Friday, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s president, Akihiro Kobayashi, expressed his deep apologies for the anxiety and fear caused by the company’s products. He assured the public that the company is fully committed to investigating the matter and will dedicate all their resources to finding answers.

In addition to recalling “Beni Koji Choleste Help” and two other tablet brands, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical supplies red yeast rice to approximately 50 other companies in Japan and two companies in Taiwan. Some of these companies have also issued preventive recalls for their food products containing the ingredient, including a rose-colored sake and salad dressing.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced earlier on Friday that one more customer, who had been taking Beni Koji Choleste Help, had died from kidney problems. The company is currently assessing the facts and establishing a causal relationship.

Taiwanese companies have taken preventative measures as well and have recalled 154 products containing red yeast rice following the incident. Health authorities in Taiwan have reported a case of kidney failure in a woman in her 70s who had been taking Kobayashi’s supplements for several years.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical acknowledged that the recalled supplements contained puberulic acid, a substance derived from blue mold, after the health ministry suggested its presence in the red yeast rice products. However, the company emphasized that the toxicity of the acid has not yet been determined, and it cannot be confirmed as the cause of the illnesses until further examination.

The red yeast rice supplements produced by Kobayashi are regulated under a system established in 2015 by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Some watchdogs have expressed concerns about the adequacy of the regulation surrounding these products and their advertised effects.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman, has instructed ministers to review the regulatory system and compile a report by the end of May, according to local media reports.

Source: [UrduPoint](https://www.urdupoint.com)