Five people who took
a dietary supplement in Japan
have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized so far, a week after the pharmaceutical company that makes it ordered it to be taken off the market.
Osaka-based pharmaceutical company Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., the maker of the recalled products, was criticized for
not earlier reporting a problem it had known about internally since January
. Its first public announcement was on March 22.
At the beginning of the week there were already two deaths from consuming the supplements. The company updated the figure to five on Friday, adding that
114 people are being treated in hospitals
after ingesting products containing an ingredient called
benikoji
, a type of mold derived from red rice fermented with a fungus.
Benikoji offers a unique blend of flavor and nutrition that has captivated chefs and healthy living practitioners alike. It has been used for centuries in Japan, mainly in the production of fermented foods and drinks.
Some of those affected developed kidney problems after taking the supplements, but
the exact cause that made them sick remains a mystery
and is under investigation by the company and health authorities.
“We present our deepest apologies,” the pharmaceutical company's president, Akihiro Kobayashi, told reporters on Friday, taking
a long bow to emphasize his apology
, along with three other senior company officials.
In addition, he expressed his regret to the deceased and sick, and their families. He also apologized for the problems caused to the entire health food industry and the medical profession, adding that
the company is working to prevent further damage
and improve its crisis management protocol.
The pharmaceutical company's products
have been removed from sale, along with dozens more that contained benikoji, including miso paste, crackers and a vinegar dressing
. The Ministry of Health published on its official website a list of all the recalled products, including some that normally use benikoji as a colorant.
According to the ministry, the death toll could increase.
The supplements could be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription, and some
may have been purchased or exported before the recall order
, including by tourists who may not have been aware of the problem.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has been marketing benikoji products for years,
selling one million packages
in the last three fiscal years . The problem arose with the supplements produced in 2023, when according to information from the company itself it produced 18.5 tons of benikoji.
Some analysts blame the problem on recent initiatives to deregulate the market, which simplify and speed up the approval of health products to stimulate economic growth.