Japan Faces a Health Crisis Linked to Red Yeast Rice Supplements
At least two people have died in Japan and about a hundred have been hospitalized in connection with a line of red yeast rice supplements that have since been withdrawn from the market, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The situation unfolded after Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the responsible company, disclosed a death the previous day, and the ministry confirmed a second fatality after a meeting with the firm. Both individuals reportedly used the cholesterol-lowering supplement regularly in recent years, and authorities are investigating whether the deaths are connected to the product while awaiting final causality determinations.
Following the company’s voluntary withdrawal announcement last Friday, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical faced a flood of inquiries via email—more than 3,000 messages—and confirmed the first fatality only this week. In total, 106 people have been hospitalized in relation to these products. The health status of other affected individuals remains unknown, and no public data are available about consumers who experienced health issues without hospitalization.
The Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Keizo Takemi, criticized the company for acting independently of public health authorities during the investigation. He told reporters that authorities would safeguard population health and the food supply, and would curb further damage while pursuing the root cause and withdrawing the products. Attribution: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Investigations point to red yeast rice, or beni-koji in Japanese, as the likely source of the health problems. This fermented variety of rice takes on a reddish hue and is used in certain dietary supplements marketed for cholesterol reduction. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has voluntarily withdrawn five products from the market, including roughly 300,000 units of the red yeast rice supplements. Since their release in 2021, the company had sold about 1.06 million units within the market up to last month.
The company began its internal review after a physician alerted authorities to health concerns potentially linked to the products, including fatigue and kidney-related issues. In addition to the named products, Kobayashi distributed red yeast rice to 52 other domestic and foreign firms, and has requested their withdrawal of any potentially affected products should an unsafe ingredient be present. Attribution: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical press communications
Meanwhile, Fujiyoshi Soy Sauce, a Japanese producer, announced the recall of two products, Genki Miso and Miso Kabosu Dressing, which include red yeast rice supplied by Kobayashi. No health incidents have been confirmed in connection with these products, but the withdrawal is a precautionary measure. Attribution: Fujiyoshi Soy Sauce official notice
In a broader regional response, authorities in China reportedly suspended online sales of products tied to these voluntary recalls and similar actions were taken in Taiwan to remove affected items from circulation. Attribution: regional health authorities