ALBAWABA - The health community in Japan is in the middle of a scandal involving nutritional supplements, which has possibly now led to a large number of hospitalizations and raised concerns nationwide. On Tuesday, the Japanese Ministry of Health reported that 157 people had been hospitalized in incidents possibly linked, to an anti-cholesterol supplement.
This supplement, made with red yeast rice and distributed by the Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Group, has been at the center of this health scare. The pharmaceutical group, which has been under much scrutiny, acknowledged the situation but did not provide detailed information.
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Earlier reports by the Agence France-Presse said that the company was investigating the connection between the supplements and five deaths. The majority of these cases involved kidney-related issues. Also, there has been a report from Taiwan suggesting a possible link between a hospitalization case there and the controversial supplements.
Authorities and Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals are currently trying to locate the exact component in the red yeast rice, known locally as bene koji, responsible for the adverse health effects. This health crisis has dominated Japanese news for over a week, stirring up a mix of misinformation and conspiracy theories on social media platforms.
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Kobayashi, based in Osaka, revealed that its red yeast rice products had been supplied to around fifty companies within Japan and two in Taiwan. The company expressed regret for not addressing the issue sooner, especially since the first doctor's report came in on January 15. It wasn't until mid-March that Kobayashi announced the recall of three production lines.
In response to the unfolding situation, several businesses have taken the action of recalling products containing red yeast rice. These products range from sparkling sake and salad dressings to fermented soy paste known as miso.
