Manufacturers of Foods with Function Claims (FFC) are legally bound to four newly added requirements from September 1 – the latest move in regulating Japan’s functional foods industry since Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s red yeast rice scandal broke out.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical reported an “extraordinary loss” of nearly US$25m (JPY$3.86bn) in its Q1 results due to the recall of its contaminated red yeast rice products, raw materials, and compensation of medical expenses.
Fresh safety warnings from the Belgian and German authorities highlight the need for member state compromise on the classification of monacolin K from red yeast rice, a consumer group says.
UK supplier Gee Lawson has debuted organic red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) into a sector dominated by Chinese supply and which has won a European Union health claim for cholesterol maintenance.