Japanese health officials search food supplement firm after deaths

Tokyo [Japan], March 31: Japanese health authorities have searched a factory operated by the Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company in Osaka following several deaths linked to the food supplement red yeast rice.
Kenji Yamashita, head of production at the company in Osaka, expressed his regrets on Saturday, but declined to comment on the search of the factory, which has been shut down since December, local news reports said.
As the company has shifted production of the ingredients of the supplement to a factory in the western prefecture of Wakayama, a search will be conducted there on Sunday as well.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has reported five fatalities and the hospitalization of more than 110 people in connection with red yeast rice products. Around 680 people have either sought a doctor's advice or plan to do so.
The company reported earlier that puberulic acid, a natural compound made from blue mould, had been found in the supplement and could be linked to the health problems.
The substance could be toxic, according to the Health Ministry, the news agency Kyodo News reported on Saturday.
The supplement is thought by some to offer health benefits, including lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
Source: Qatar Tribune