“Five individuals succumb following the consumption of dietary enhancements in Japan.”

Five individuals who ingested a Japanese health supplement have succumbed, while over a hundred have been admitted to hospitals as of Friday, a week subsequent to a pharmaceutical corporation initiating a recall of the said products.

The Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. faced severe criticism for its delayed public disclosure of issues internally recognized as early as January. The initial public announcement transpired on March 22.

At the onset of the week, the recorded fatalities numbered at two individuals. However, on Friday, company authorities revised the death toll to five, alongside reporting that 114 individuals were under medical care in hospitals post-ingestion of products—such as Benikoji Choleste Help, designed to mitigate cholesterol levels—that encompass an element known as benikoji, a crimson strain of mold.

Several individuals manifested renal complications subsequent to supplement consumption. “We extend our sincerest apologies,” articulated President Akihiro Kobayashi.