A letter GhanaCelebrities.Com has sighted from Food & Drugs Authority (and also published on the authority’s website) says the FDA has suspended the marketing of Adonko bitters–until it has finished a necessary investigation into the recent Kumasi ‘drunkard youth concert’.

The letter states that:

“The FDA has sanctioned Angel Group of Companies, manufacturers of Adonko Bitters after a concert organized by the Company at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Easter Monday April 17, 2017 left most of the youth passing out as a result of excessive intake of the alcoholic product.

FDA’s investigation confirmed that the criterion for gaining access to the concert was solely on condition that each individual purchased a 750ml bottle of the alcoholic beverage at a cost of GH¢10, a situation which resulted in the Alcoholic beverage being sold to minors as well. It also resulted in excessive consumption, clearly putting the consumers at risk of flouting the caution of drinking responsibly.

The situation also contravened Section 3.2.19 of the FDA Guidelines for the Advertisement of Food products which states that “No alcoholic beverage shall be advertised in relation to a public function where persons under the legal drinking age are likely to attend.”

The Company also contravened Section 3.2.12 of the FDA Guidelines for the Advertisement of Food products which prohibits the use of well-known personalities in the marketing of alcoholic beverages by engaging Shatta Wale and Bisa Kdei in the promotion programme.

These acts exposed patrons to the said programme to unwarranted serious health risks bordering on public health. The FDA has consequently sanctioned the Company as follows:

• With immediate effect, the FDA has suspended the Registration and Advertisement License of Angel Group of Companies whilst investigations into the incident continue.
•  The company has also been directed to recall the Product, Adonko Bitters, from trade and to furnish the FDA with details of the recall plan and subsequently, the progress of the recall plan.
•  The company is to pay an administrative charge of GH¢25,000 for failing to comply with the above regulatory requirements.

The FDA will not hesitate to impose further sanctions should Angel Group of Companies fail to comply with these sanctions.”