Four people died in Japan after they 'took a cholesterol-lowering supplement'

A Kobayashi Pharmaceutical shareholder talks to reporters in Osaka on Thursday Photo: Alamy Live News/Newsco

The Osaka-based company reports. supplied red yeast rice to about 50 other firms in Japan and two in Taiwan.

“We were informed yesterday by a bereaved family that a man taking Choleste Help had passed away due to kidney disease. «, says the statement from the drug manufacturer.

He added that it was separately reported that another person who had used Choleste Help in recent years had died.

“We are in the process of confirming the facts and causality in both of these cases,” it said statement.

“However, we have decided to make this report public from an operational disclosure perspective.”

The government has ordered several health food makers to test their products while informing foreign countries about the problem through Japanese embassies, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Dozens of Japanese firms that used beni koji have provided information. by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has separately announced a recall.

The affected products include health tablets, as well as pink sparkling sake, salad dressing, bread and miso paste, used in many traditional dishes.

< p>Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said the analysis revealed the possibility that the products contained «ingredients that we did not intend to include.»

However, the company said it did not detect citrinin, produced by red yeast rice, which is toxic and may damage the kidneys.

A Kobayashi executive said last week that the company first received complaints about kidney problems in January.

“It is unfortunate that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical did not provide information to the government. while the company is conducting an investigation to determine the cause,” Health Minister Keizo Takemi said Tuesday.