In the past few days, the turmoil of Japan's Kobayashi pharmaceutical problem health care products has continued to ferment. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said on March 28 that the number of consumers who died after taking health products containing red yeast rice increased to four, and another 106 people were hospitalized, NHK TV reported. Akihiro Kobayashi, president of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., apologized for the incident at a private shareholders' meeting held on the same day.
The new deaths had previously been supplemented with supplements containing red yeast rice
According to the information provided by the families of the two new deceased, the two people began to take Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company's health supplement containing red yeast rice cholesterol granules in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and subsequently developed symptoms of kidney disease and died. So far, the number of consumers who have died from taking the company's health products containing red yeast rice has reached 4.
Previously, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced on the 26th that the second death case may be the same as the first death, which is the same kidney disease. However, specific information has not yet been announced. The report pointed out that the first fatal case had taken the company's health care product containing red yeast rice - red yeast cholesterol granules before his death.
Japan has begun to urgently inspect food products with functional labels on the market
Based on the damage to consumers' health caused by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company's health products containing red yeast ingredients, Yutaka Arai, head of the Japanese Consumer Agency, announced on the 28th local time that it has begun to conduct emergency inspections of all functionally labeled foods on the market.
Urgent inspections include sending letters of inquiry to about 1,700 businesses that sell functionally labeled foods to confirm whether any medical institutions have reported such health problems and whether a system has been established to collect information on health problems.
Kobayashi said its problematic product batches may be concentrated after September 2023
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said on the 27th that in a hearing on Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company on the 26th, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company said that consumers who take health products containing red yeast rice ingredients produced by the company in September 2023 and later are at greater risk of health damage. It is possible that from September 2023, the company's red yeast rice raw materials contain ingredients suspected of causing this problem.
Monascus monascus, also known as Monascus mold, is a type of fungus. It can not only be used as a natural pigment, but also can be fermented to produce bioactive substances such as "lovastatin", which is often used as a raw material for health care products for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals said the health products in question may contain an unintended ingredient, but it is unclear what exactly that ingredient is.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's factory that produces problematic red yeast rice raw materials was shut down at the end of last year
On March 27, a government department in Osaka City, where Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is headquartered, held a press conference. According to the Osaka city government, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's plant for the production of potentially problematic red yeast rice raw materials in Yodogawa Ward, Osaka City, was closed at the end of last year, and it was not possible to confirm the on-site sanitation conditions. At present, the equipment and other equipment in the plant have been transferred to Wakayama Prefecture, and the Osaka City Government has no authority to conduct an investigation.
△The photo shows Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Osaka plant
The Osaka City Government has stated that it will cooperate with the Wakayama Prefectural Government on the situation and work with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to find out the cause as soon as possible, based on a report provided by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Relevant data shows that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company will produce a total of about 18.5 tons of red yeast rice raw materials in 2023, of which about 2.4 tons will be used by the company to produce health care products, and the remaining about 16.1 tons have been sold to other companies. These companies include food companies, cosmetics companies, etc. It is reported that about 6.9 tons of the 16.1 tons of red yeast rice raw materials sold to other companies are used in the production of health supplements, so it is also possible that this part of the red yeast rice raw materials contains unknown ingredients that cause kidney diseases and other problems.
The three recalled products are not available for sale in the Chinese mainland market
Regarding the health damage of people who take health care products containing "red yeast rice" (red yeast rice) from Japanese Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical China Co., Ltd. issued a statement on the 27th, announcing that it will actively assist in the recall of products containing red yeast rice purchased through online shopping and other channels.
According to the statement, none of the three products targeted by the recall were sold in the Chinese mainland market, but there may be Chinese consumers who purchased related products through overseas cross-border platforms.
△ Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced an emergency recall of three health products containing red yeast rice ingredients: red yeast rice cholesterol-lowering granules, visceral fat reduction + cholesterol-lowering granules, and nattokinase refreshing granules.
Japanese Prime Minister Asks for Truth Japan officials say they have provided relevant information to the WHO
On the 28th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that efforts must be made to find out the cause and consider taking all necessary countermeasures.
On the same day, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said that information was being provided to the World Health Organization and other countries and regions regarding the health damage caused by health products containing red yeast rice ingredients produced by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company.