Photo/Illutration A Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. plant in Osaka’s Yodogawa Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A major Osaka drug maker released a report on July 23 rebuking the company for its improper handling of health problems among customers who have taken supplements made from benikoji.

The report, compiled by an investigative committee consisting of lawyers, stated that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. should have more quickly publicized the health hazard associated with the dietary supplement.

It also said the company should have recalled the products and consulted with administrative authorities after early February at the latest.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical became aware of the reports of health problems in mid-January. But it did not publicly disclose facts until late March.

In April, the company set up an investigatory committee consisting of three lawyers to verify whether the timing of the health notification alert was appropriate.

The report introduced some of the investigation of employers on the benikoji production line, although it stated that it is not known if the details revealed are the cause of the health problems.

According to the report, during the production of the raw material lot of the product in question in early November 2022, a drying machine broke down and “the red yeast mold was left undried for a certain amount of time.”

Furthermore, interviews with employees revealed that blue mold was once found inside of the lid of the tank where red yeast was cultured. When an employee mentioned it to a quality control staff, the employee was told, “Blue mold sometimes gets mixed in to some extent.”

But Kobayashi Pharmaceutical did not disclose the problem until March 22.

The company made no active attempt to find out what was occurring in the manufacturing process by, for instance, directly asking the person in charge of the manufacturing process, the report said.

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