According to NHK on the 18th, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan announced that the substance puberulic acid derived from blue mold in red mold fermented rice, known as Honguk, caused renal dysfunction in individuals who consumed Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s “Honguk Cholesterol Help.”
Honguk is made by fermenting grains like rice with red mold to produce a red-colored product known for its cholesterol breakdown effects. It is suspected that toxic puberulic acid was generated due to the contamination of blue mold during the manufacturing process.
The product “Honguk Cholesterol Help” released in 2021 sold approximately 1.1 million units. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical reported that as of the 15th of last month, a total of 120 people had died after consuming their Honguk ingredient products.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that the problematic red mold health foods (5 types) are not officially imported into Korea at present, and they urged platforms and others to provide detailed information on the products to prevent overseas direct purchase and refrain from selling them.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, founded in 1886, initially as a partnership, is currently listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is a globally renowned pharmaceutical company with sales of 173.4 billion yen (approximately 1.5 trillion won) last year.
In response to the Honguk incident in July, the management of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical took responsibility and stepped down. Chairman Kobayashi Kazumasa and President Kobayashi Akihiro resigned together. The chairman remained as a special advisor, while the president was transferred from a registered executive to a non-registered executive, overseeing compensation for damages and post-incident measures. The current CEO is Yamane Satoshi, a non-family member becoming the CEO at Kobayashi Pharmaceutical for the first time.