The manufacturer Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. confirmed the deaths linked to its red yeast rice dietary supplements, Anadolu Agency quoted Tokyo-based Kyodo News said.
The manufacturer has recalled five of its products, including about 300,000 packages of its "Beni-Koji Cholesterol Help" supplements.
Two of the deceased had consumed the supplement in 2021 and early 2022, it reported.
The Health Ministry, which suspects the presence of a "toxic substance" in the product, also held a hearing with the Osaka-based pharmaceutical officials regarding the alarming health issues due to the supplements that caused kidney-related problems after their consumption.
The company was unable to come up with a specific cause of the problems.
Local authorities in the Osaka province on the main Honshu Islands of Japan Wednesday ordered Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to recall three other types of "Beni-Koji" supplements.
-- BERNAMA
