A mail-order soap has caused at least 471 people to suffer wheat allergy reactions, including unconsciousness, and the distributor and manufacturer are trying to recall millions of the bars while the health ministry is alerting consumers to the dangers.
The allergic reactions linked to the use of Cha no Shizuku (Drop of Tea) soap include swelling, rashes and breathing difficulties, the health ministry said Tuesday, adding that at least one case of a user falling unconscious has been linked to the product out of 66 people who have been hospitalized.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is urging the public to refrain from using Cha no Shizuku soap sold by the Fukuoka Prefecture-based mail-order firm Yuuka Co. between March 2004 and last December. The soap was manufactured by Nara Prefecture-based Phoenix Co.