Bosses resign at Japan health supplement firm probing deaths
The Peninsula
Tokyo: The chairman and president of a major Japanese dietary supplement maker announced their resignation on Tuesday, as the company probes dozens of...
Tokyo: The chairman and president of a major Japanese dietary supplement maker announced their resignation on Tuesday, as the company probes dozens of deaths potentially linked to products meant to lower cholesterol.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is at the centre of a health scare linked to its over-the-counter tablets containing red yeast rice, which is fermented with a mould culture.
The company's board released an external report on Tuesday that said the firm had failed to prioritise consumer safety and acted with an "insufficient sense of urgency".
Red yeast rice or "beni koji" has been used in food, drinks and folk medicine for centuries around East Asia.
Medical studies say it can improve cholesterol levels but also warn of a risk of organ damage depending on the ingredient's chemical make-up.
