Taiwan's consumers seek US$5.3 million over red yeast rice illnesses

Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) The Consumer Protection Association in Taiwan (CPAT) on Friday filed a lawsuit and sought a compensation of around 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 nonprofit CPAT is filing a lawsuit against and seeking compensation from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical'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 Sept. 20, a total of 66 people in Taiwan have reported suffering adverse reactions -- mostly kidney-related problems -- after consuming red yeast rice-related products from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, according to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration's (TFDA) statistics.

Some have suffered from allergies and fatigue, according to the TFDA.

CPAT said that several of the 55 victims it is filing the lawsuit on behalf of have been undergoing kidney dialysis.

In a press conference on Sept. 18, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirmed that puberulic acid -- a toxic substance produced by blue mold -- found in Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's dietary supplements was the cause of the health problems consumers have experienced, citing animal experiments.

Future investigation will focus on how the mold contamination occurred during the cultivation of red yeast rice at Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's factories in Japan, the ministry said.

According to the Japanese ministry, 120 people have died in Japan after consuming the red yeast rice supplements, with a total of 502 people hospitalized, as of Sept. 15.

The pharmaceutical company said on March 29 that it will compensate overseas consumers as much as it would Japanese consumers.

However, CPAT voiced its concern about whether Taiwanese consumers' claims will lead to compensation, as both the company's 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.