Lusambo Criticises Drinks Company Claiming to Treat Coronavirus

Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has criticised Nutricom Food and Beverage Ltd. for misleading the public, after the company claimed that its ‘Divine Power’ kombucha drink helps fight the symptoms of Covid-19. 

While visiting the company on Friday, Mr Lusambo scolded the drinks manufacturers for producing a highly misleading advert, which suggested that their energy drink could boost the immune system and help ward off the coronavirus.

“You are taking advantage of people’s ignorance in order to make more money when government officials are having sleepless nights on how to contain the coronavirus yet you claim that you can fight it,” he said. 

The minister ordered Nutricom’s Managing Director Yugandhar Reddy to withdraw posters advertising the drink from around Lusaka. 

Mr Lusambo added that people might end up ignoring official Ministry of Health guidelines if the advert told them they could cure Covid-19 themselves, putting Zambia at even greater risk from the disease. 

“You want our people to be careless due to your claims that the beverage can be used to fight coronavirus?” he asked. 

More shockingly still, it has been reported that Nutricom recorded an increase in sales since releasing the misleading advert. 

The company has been largely unable to substantiate its claims, though Mr Reddy maintains that kombucha does have some immune-boosting properties.