Japanese authorities ordered the removal of three red rice supplements from shop shelves across the country after four consumers died, with over 100 people hospitalised, according to CNN.
Japan’s Health Ministry ordered shops on Wednesday to get rid of all stocks of Benikoji ColesteHelp, NaishiHelp Plus Cholesterol and Natto-kinase Sarasara Tsubu GOLD as it investigated Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s products.
All of the suspected additives contain “beni koji”, a rice fermented with red yeast. The ingredient is reported to lower cholesterol levels and is traditionally used in seasonings and food preservation, as well as in the production of rice wine. However, scientists argue that the fermentation process can produce unsafe levels of citrinin, a toxin that causes kidney dysfunction.
A spokesperson for Kobayashi Pharmaceutical revealed that all four deceased users suffered from kidney disease after taking Benikoji ColesteHelp. According to the spokesperson, two of them had been taking the pills since 2021, when the product was launched, while one started taking the pills in early 2022. He added that the company voluntarily began recalling the three products last Friday, days before the alleged link to the vague deaths was discovered.
A spokesman claimed the firm’s preliminary investigation found substances it “did not intend for” for some of the materials used in the manufacturing process. However, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s website states that its beni koji products use a strain of bacteria during fermentation that does not produce citrinin.
We deeply apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers and related parties. We consider this matter to be a serious matter and will continue to investigate.
The firm commissioned several universities to carry out independent analyses, the spokesman stated, adding that the batch under review could have been produced between April and October last year and shipped between April and December. The toxin was not detected during an inspection in February this year.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Thursday that the government was investigating the deaths and the alleged link to beni koji.
If necessary, we must consider all possible measures.
The reports have sparked concern in other parts of Asia, where Japanese dietary supplements are widely popular. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical posted a warning on Chinese social networking site Weibo that while the three products were not officially available in mainland China, customers may have bought them online or during visits to Japan. It urged Chinese customers to return the products.
Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration ordered distributors to suspend imports of over 150 products containing beni koji, including those produced by Kobayashi. Singaporean authorities recalled sparkling sake, a type of rice wine, produced by Takara Shuzo of Kyoto, which used beni koji in its production.
