Kobayashi Pharmaceutical investigating 76 more deaths linked to biologically active supplements

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. of Japan is looking into 76 more deaths among people who took its red yeast rice dietary supplements to determine whether the deaths were directly related to these supplements, reports Kyodo News.

In total, the company's hotline received 79 such calls from relatives of the deceased. In three of them, no relationship between death and the use of these dietary supplements was found. The company previously had reported five deaths among those taking such supplements.

The number of people hospitalized after taking Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's red yeast rice dietary supplements is now more than 230. In total, about 1,300 people were treated in medical facilities.

Currently, the sale of these nutritional supplements has been completely discontinued. A number of Japanese companies that use this red yeast rice in their products have also announced product recalls.

Red yeast rice enzymes are actively used in the production of fermented products such as soy sauce, rice vinegar, and miso paste in Japan and several other Asian countries. It is also an important ingredient in the production of sake, which also determines the taste of the drink. Red yeast rice is made by adding a special type of fungus that gives the final product its color.

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