The China Consumers Association warned Chinese consumers to stop taking Japanese supplements containing red yeast rice due to the recent health scandal in Japan.

The association confirmed the products were not imported for local sales in China, but purchase was possible via cross-border platforms and overseas stores.

The Japanese drugmaker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical recently disclosed that there have been several deaths and over 100 hospitalizations in connection with their supplement containing "beni-koji," or red yeast rice.

The association called on customers to not take the pills, and to contact the company's customer service in China if they already have. Those who purchased via import e-commerce platforms can apply for returns and refunds. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical on Friday said it was voluntarily recalling its three products containing beni-koji.

It also advised the customers to pay close attention to their health and visit a doctor if needed.

Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as early as January, said AP. The first public announcement came on March 22.

Japanese physician Eiji Kusumi noted in an interview with China Media Group that the drugmaker may not have disclosed the issue to the public right away because of economic interests, saying "Of course they should disclose the information as soon as possible. The announcement could prevent more people from suffering kidney conditions and health issues. But to the company, the immediate disclose may affect the company's brand and economic interests."

Rebuilding the public's trust in the company is expected to be an arduous task, said Kusumi, adding that such scandal is a huge blow to the health food industry.

He also mentioned the supplements being labeled as "functional food" could easily mislead the customers into believing that the supplements had been reviewed and certified by the health authorities. In fact, function-labeled foods do not require official approval and enterprises may label their products based on their reputation in Japan. 

Kusumi said the drugmaker claimed the red yeast rice extract in the recalled supplements can help lower cholesterol, but there's no scientific verification that this actually works. "From a physician's point of view, it's not appropriate."