TOKYO (NEWSnet/AP) — Two deaths and over 100 illnesses have prompted health officials in Japan to order the removal of health supplement products from store shelves.

The products are advertised to help lower cholesterol. The supplement contains an ingredient called “benikoji,” a red species of mold.

The ministry has put up a list on its official site of all the recalled products, including some that use benikoji for food coloring.

At least 106 people had been hospitalized after taking the pills, officials said. 

The company that makes the health supplement products is investigating the cause of the problem. The recalled products could be bought without a prescription from a doctor and could be purchased at drug stores.

The ministry official warned there could be more victims in the days ahead.

All the products were made in Japan, although it is unclear if any of the raw materials were imported. A recall of imported health supplements has happened before, but this is the first major recall of a domestically produced supplement, according to Japanese media reports.

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