Japanese government health officials took decisive action on Saturday, raiding a factory suspected of producing health supplements responsible for at least five deaths and over a hundred hospitalizations. In a solemn procession captured on national television, about a dozen individuals clad in dark suits entered the Osaka facility of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co.
The supplements, allegedly linked to severe health issues including kidney failure, all contained “benikoji,” a type of red mold. Among the affected products were Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals’ pink pills marketed as Benikoji Choleste Help, touted for their purported cholesterol-lowering benefits.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, headquartered in Osaka, disclosed that approximately a million packages had been sold over the past three fiscal years, with some exported internationally. The company expressed cooperation with ongoing investigations conducted jointly with government health authorities to determine the precise cause of the illnesses.
Reports of health complications emerged in 2023, despite benikoji’s historical usage in various products. Company president Akihiro Kobayashi issued an apology for the delay in response, acknowledging that the recall was initiated only after official medical reports were received, nearly two months following the first notification of the issue.
As of Friday’s update, the company confirmed five fatalities and 114 hospitalizations attributable to the implicated supplements. Japan’s health ministry attributed the deaths and illnesses directly to the consumption of these products and cautioned that the affected count might escalate.
While some analysts speculate on the impact of recent deregulation initiatives aimed at accelerating the approval process for health products to stimulate economic growth, instances of fatalities from mass-produced items remain rare in Japan, given the relatively stringent government oversight of consumer goods.
In response to the supplement-related health crises, the government has initiated a review of the approval system, with a comprehensive report slated for release in May.
