In Japan, a raid was conducted on a factory producing health supplements that have resulted in the deaths of at least five people and hospitalized over 100 others. The Osaka plant of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. was raided by government health officials, who were seen entering the premises solemnly on Japanese TV news.
The cause of the illnesses, including kidney failure, is still unknown according to the company. An investigation is underway in collaboration with government health authorities to determine the exact reason for the illnesses. All the supplements used a type of red mold called “benikoji,” with the pink pills named Benikoji Choleste Help claimed to help lower cholesterol levels.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, headquartered in Osaka, reported that around a million packages of the supplements were sold over the past three fiscal years, some even being exported. The products were available without a prescription at drug stores. Reports of health issues emerged in 2023 despite benikoji being used in various products for years.
The company’s president, Akihiro Kobayashi, apologized for the delay in taking action after official medical reports were received. The recall was initiated two months after reports of health issues were made public. As of Friday, five deaths and 114 hospitalizations were linked to the supplements by Japan’s health ministry, with warnings of potential further cases still looming large.
The recent deregulation efforts in Japan aimed at boosting economic growth have been scrutinized as they simplified the approval process for health products like these supplements that are now linked to serious illnesses and deaths. The strict government checks over consumer products in Japan make deaths from mass-produced items rare prompting authorities to review their approval system for health supplements once again.
A detailed report on this matter is expected to be released in May and will address how this incident can prevent future incidents from happening while ensuring that consumers receive safe and reliable products.
In conclusion, this incident highlights how important it is to ensure that all consumer products meet high safety standards before they are allowed on store shelves and into people’s homes. With proper regulations in place, such incidents could be prevented or mitigated before they cause harm to individuals or even lead to fatalities as this case did.
