The first oral hearing in a lawsuit concerning red yeast rice-related products was held at the Osaka District Court. The plaintiff alleged a breach of the duty to explain the recall, while the defendant argued that the recall was a precautionary measure to prevent health damage and that the raw materials were distinct.
The first oral hearing in a damages claim against KOBAYASHI PHARMACEUTICAL and 薫製倶楽部 was held at the Osaka District Court. The plaintiff appeared without legal counsel, while 2 attorneys attended for the defendants. The plaintiff alleged a breach of the duty to explain, citing insufficient distinction between food-grade and supplement-grade raw materials and insufficient recall information. The case number is Reiwa 8 (wa) No. 9047, and the claims are ¥36.9 million as the primary claim and ¥100 million as the alternative claim.
The defendants argued that the food-grade and supplement-grade raw materials were distinguished and that the recall had been explained as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of health damage. Meanwhile, President Mori (森氏) criticized the request for a recall without explaining the differences in strains and manufacturing methods at a press conference. Documents submitted to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reportedly classify the raw materials into strain A and strain B, with the 5P-D used by 薫製倶楽部 classified as strain B and compound X not detected.