The Consumer Protection Association in Taiwan (CPAT) on Friday filed a lawsuit seeking compensation of about NT$168 million (US$5.3 million) from several companies, including a Japanese company’s Taiwan subsidiary, on behalf of 55 people who said they fell ill after taking its red yeast rice supplements.
The non-profit is filing a lawsuit and seeking compensation from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co’s Taiwan subsidiary and five other Taiwanese companies, which imported the raw materials used to make the Japanese firm’s brand of red yeast rice products.
As of Friday last week, 66 people have reported suffering adverse reactions — mostly kidney-related problems — after consuming red yeast rice products from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
Photo: Fred Mery, Bloomberg
Some are experiencing allergies and fatigue, the FDA added.
CPAT said it is filing the lawsuit on behalf of several people who are undergoing kidney dialysis.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on Wednesday last week confirmed that puberulic acid — a toxic substance produced by blue mold — was found in Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s dietary supplements and was the cause of the health problems.
The ministry said it would investigate how the mold contamination occurred during the cultivation of red yeast rice.
The ministry said that as of Sept. 15, 120 people have died in Japan after consuming the red yeast rice supplements, with 502 people hospitalized.
The pharmaceutical company on March 29 said that it would compensate overseas and Japanese consumers.
However, CPAT voiced concerns about whether Taiwanese consumers would be compensated, as company president Akihiro Kobayashi and chairman Kazumasa Kobayashi resigned in July.
CPAT said it decided to formally file a lawsuit to defend consumers’ rights, and urged the companies to uphold corporate integrity and fulfill their responsibility.
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