Adonko Bitters
The management of Angel Group of Companies has put up a spirited defence of one of its products, Adonko Bitters.
On Easter Monday, the company organised what it termed the ‘Adonko Aseda Bash’ at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi which was said to have been attended by over 35,000 people.
There were speculations that some persons allegedly collapsed after the event, and this compelled the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to issue a statement to ban the product.
In a statement, however, management of the company noted that “our preliminary investigations indicate that whilst about 10 people may have been drunk or slept off, no one passed out per various speculations in traditional and social media.”
It said that “the company encourages responsible consumption of alcohol and as per Ghana’s laws; the company does not sell to minors.”
“Adonko Bitters is produced with 100 percent natural herbs and plants under the most stringent production standards as certified by the FDA.
It indicated that the supposed ban is unrelated to any product defect, and we respect the authority of the FDA and are of the belief that they are working in the supreme interest of the public, and as such we are cooperating fully with their investigations and the directives issued to the company.
That notwithstanding, management explained that “the purpose of the event was to reward loyal clients of Adonko Bitters over the past year and that the company produced special labels and batch numbers specifically for the event.”
It said the special labels were meant to encourage customers to keep the drinks as souvenirs.
Meanwhile, producers of Adonko Bitters have apologized to people, whose sensibilities may have been offended by the fallout and also for the distress caused to the various stakeholders- local authorities, consumers, farmers, suppliers, distributors and employees.
“The management of the company has also with immediate effect reviewed all promotional strategies to forestall such incidents in the future,” the statement disclosed.
“We are deeply committed to superior production standards, responsible corporate citizenship and ethical standards in our operations, and we are working assiduously to ensure a speedy resolution.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu