Two weeks ago, the health ministry announced that at least 471 people have suffered severe allergic reactions related to the use of a facial soap called Cha no Shizuku. Sixty-six of these people have also been hospitalized. In May, Yuuka, the direct sales company that markets the soap, started recalling the product, which first went on sale in 2004. In the months prior to the recall, Yuuka sent letters about the problem to millions of users. One thing about mail order sales is that merchants know exactly who's buying their stuff.

The name of the soap means "drop of tea," but the ingredient that caused the problems was derived from wheat. The unpleasant reactions, which include swelling, rashes and difficult breathing, are usually associated with food allergies. It seems the reactions occurred after some users ate wheat products. Researchers determined that repeated use of the soap caused certain people to develop the allergies.

Based on the most recent media reports it sounds as if Yuuka and the health ministry handled the matter responsibly, but problems were already known in October 2009, when a group of doctors contacted the ministry with concerns about the soap. It was another five months before the ministry in turn contacted Yuuka to find out what might be causing the problems, which were being reported with greater frequency. Then in September the ministry began studying 11 of the allergy cases, and a month later, having isolated the suspect ingredient, it sent out a notice to other companies about possible side effects. According to Asahi Shimbun, at least six other firms also used that ingredient.