(Tokyo) Japanese government health officials on Sunday inspected a factory producing dietary supplements linked to at least five deaths and the hospitalization of more than 100 others, a day after authorities investigated another factory manufacturing this product.
A team of 17 health officials from the central and prefectural governments raided a factory operated by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.’s subsidiary in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, under the law food hygiene. NHK public television showed the officials entering the factory.
The Wakayama factory resumed supplement production after Kobayashi Pharmaceutical closed another factory in nearby Osaka, which authorities raided on Saturday, NHK said.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical spokesperson Yuko Tomiyama told reporters the company was fully cooperating with the investigation.
The company says little is known about the exact cause of these diseases, including kidney failure.
The supplements studied all used “benikoji,” a type of red mold, including Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals’ pink pills called Benikoji Choleste Help, which are identified as helping to lower cholesterol levels.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, based in Osaka, western Japan, said about one million packages were sold in the past three fiscal years. The company also sold “benikoji” to other manufacturers, and some products were exported. The supplements could be purchased at pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription.
PHOTO KYODO VIA REUTERS
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co President Akihiro Kobayashi
Reports of health concerns have surfaced in 2023, although benikoji has been used in various products for years.
The recall took place on March 22, two months after the company received official medical reports about the problem. The company’s president, Akihiro Kobayashi, apologized for not acting sooner.
On Friday, the company announced that five people had died and 114 people were being treated in hospitals after taking the products.
Japan’s health ministry says the supplements could be responsible for deaths and illnesses, and has warned that the number of people affected could increase. The government has ordered a review of the approval system in response to illnesses linked to the supplement.
Some analysts blame recent deregulatory initiatives, which have simplified and accelerated the approval of health products for spurring economic growth. However, deaths from mass-produced products are rare in Japan because government controls on consumer products are relatively strict.
The government has ordered a review of the approval system and a report is due in May.
Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.