One person has died from kidney disease after apparently consuming dietary supplements produced by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. for about three years, the Japanese drugmaker said Tuesday.
The person, whose place of residence, gender and age were not disclosed, purchased a total of 35 packages of the company's supplements containing "beni-koji" red yeast rice that have been recalled due to reports of kidney and other health problems.
The person bought "beni-koji choleste help" on a regular basis by mail order from April 2021 to February 2024, the Osaka-based company said, adding it is examining the causal relationship between ingestion and death.
The company was informed of the person's death via an email from the deceased's relatives on Saturday, it said.
This is the first time that the Osaka-based company has reported a death with a possible link to the supplements, after it last week voluntarily recalled five products, including about 300,000 packages of the "beni-koji choleste help."
The company also said about 50 more people have been hospitalized after consuming the supplements, in addition to 26 reported as of Sunday.
The nationwide voluntary recall has been extended to include food items and seasonings that feature "beni-koji" as an ingredient, as it is used for various purposes such as coloring and flavoring.
In China, online sales of products subject to the drugmaker's voluntary recalls have been suspended, local media said.
Chinese media have pointed to the possibility that the fermentation process of "beni-koji" may produce the toxic substance citrinin that could lead to kidney disease, but Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has said the ingredient produced by the company does not contain citrinin.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical had distributed the ingredient to 52 companies including food manufacturers, but the number of companies actually using the product could be higher as they include a wholesaler.
The company said Friday it confirmed 13 people developed kidney disease and other health problems after consuming the "beni-koji" supplements it produced.
It has requested all companies supplied with its "beni-koji" to voluntarily recall products that use the same ingredient, with the incident affecting a wide range of products including sake, confectionery, bread and miso.
Out of 18.5 tons of "beni-koji" ingredients Kobayashi Pharmaceutical made in 2023, about 16.1 tons were sold to other companies. The company will consider compensation for those companies that have been asked to conduct voluntary recalls.
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