OSAKA: Japan’s Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. said Friday that it has failed to report to the health ministry some products containing its “beni koji” red fermented rice that were supplied to five companies.

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical supplied the products to the five companies as an original equipment manufacturer. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said it had thought that such products were not subject to the reporting requested by the ministry.

The ministry requested the Osaka-based company to report products containing the same or larger amount of beni koji as used in its supplements at the center of its health hazard scandal.

In June, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical was found to have underreported the number of deaths suspected to be linked to the supplements in question.

According to the ministry, none of the five companies’ products are marketed any longer. The ministry asked Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to report by Wednesday whether there are any beni koji-containing products subject to the reporting other than those of the five companies.

JIJI Press