Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives (DPR) member Surahman Hidayat has called on schools and Islamic boarding schools pesantrens to form food inspection teams to ensure the safety of meals provided under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

“Schools, madrasahs (Islamic religious school), and pesantrens should form food inspection teams consisting of teachers, school health unit officers, and committees to conduct sensory checks, ensuring the food is not spoiled before it is served to children,” he told reporters here on Wednesday.

The call comes after the Ministry of Health reported 11,660 suspected food poisoning cases as of Oct. 5, most involving children who consumed meals provided through the MBG program. The cases were recorded via the ministry’s Early Warning and Response System (SKDR).

Hidayat cited possible causes including poor food distribution practices, failure to meet temperature and timing standards, bacterial or viral contamination, untrained kitchen staff, and weak supervision by the Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) and local health offices.

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Despite the outbreak, he praised the government’s swift response, which included emergency coordination with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), investigations into the source of contamination, and audits of MBG kitchens and food distribution channels.

The government has since shut down kitchens linked to the poisoning cases, required hygiene and sanitation certification, and introduced rapid testing for harmful substances such as formalin, nitrite, and arsenic prior to food distribution.

Hidayat emphasized that while the MBG program remains important to improve child nutrition, stronger oversight and food safety measures are essential to prevent future incidents.

President Prabowo Subianto himself has ordered all nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPGs)—kitchens dedicated to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program—to use rapid food safety testing devices to ensure meal quality.

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