Brukina producers in Kumasi are bemoaning low patronage of their products. This follows a research conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research which revealed that the drink contains cancer-causing substances. The ‘Brukina’ Producers Association led by Ms. Bilqis Musa said that they have experienced losses since the findings of the research was made public.
“We have run at a loss. The drinks are in the fridge and people are not patronizing it. I have 20 employees, 15 out of the 20 living with me while 5 of them are students. “Each of them carries 200 pieces of the Brukina drinks, now no one is buying,” she lamented.
The producers queried if other food delicacies made from ‘brukina’ ingredients also contain cancerous substances. “What about porridge, bean cake and the likes, are they not made with millet? If it is the case that millet contains cancerous substances then they all contain the cancerous substances. If it is in the milk, what about ice creams and other products that contain milk, are they not also cancerous?” she asked.
The producers believe that the research is an attempt by a company to sabotage their business. “This is the doing of a company. We will not sit down for them to run our business down. We have been doing this for a long time. We feed it to our family and nothing has happened. A company wants to disgrace us and render us jobless and we will not stand for it,” they alleged.
They are calling on the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to conduct research on ‘Brukina’ in Kumasi.
“We are giving the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research 3 days to come and clear the air about the ‘Brukina’. They should come and conduct the research in Kumasi because Kumasi is also part of Ghana,” the women charged.
