Global Rice News

TOKYO – A Japanese pharmaceutical company is currently investigating five deaths that may be linked to dietary supplements used for lowering cholesterol. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the company in question, has issued a recall of three brands of over-the-counter tablets following reports of kidney problems from customers.

These products contain red yeast rice, also known as “beni koji.” Red yeast rice has been known to lower cholesterol, but medical studies have also warned about possible organ damage depending on the chemical composition of the ingredient. The situation has caused concern in Japan, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promising to consider all possible measures to prevent similar incidents if it is confirmed that the deaths were caused by the supplements.

Akihiro Kobayashi, president of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, expressed deep apologies for the anxiety and fear caused during a news conference. The company is fully dedicated to investigating the matter thoroughly. 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 in Taiwan.

Some of these companies have chosen to recall food products that contain the ingredient, including a rose-colored sake and salad dressing. Earlier, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced that they had been notified of the death of a fifth customer who had been taking Beni Koji Choleste Help and developed a kidney condition. The company is currently in the process of confirming the facts and establishing a causal relationship.

Taiwanese companies have also issued a preventive recall of 154 products containing red yeast rice in response to this situation. Health authorities on the island have reported a case of kidney failure in a woman in her 70s who had been taking Kobayashi’s supplements for several years. After the health ministry suggested the presence of puberulic acid, derived from blue mold, in the red yeast rice products, officials from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical confirmed that the recalled supplements did indeed contain this substance.