Japanese authorities raid a factory making health supplements linked to 5 deaths

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese government health officials are raiding a factory that produces health supplements they say have killed at least five people and hospitalized more than 100 others. News broadcasts of the raid shown widely Saturday on Japanese TV show about a dozen people wearing dark suits solemnly walking into the Osaka plant of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. The company says little is known about the exact cause of the sicknesses, which include kidney failure. An investigation into the products is underway in cooperation with the government. The supplements all used “benikoji,” a kind of red mold. Reports of health problems surfaced in 2023, although benikoji has been used in various products for years.