"Because this is a large program that requires a large budget and is new, some adjustments are definitely still necessary," he said in Bengkulu on Saturday, in response to cases of food poisoning linked to the free meals program.
He affirmed that the DPD will immediately carry out supervisory measures to ensure the program can run optimally and provide extensive benefits to the community.
Apart from that, he stated that he would meet with the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, to enhance control of the MBG program and prevent food poisoning cases from occurring again.
At the launch of DPD's food security program in Bengkulu on Saturday, Najamudin emphasized that the DPD supports the achievement of the government's food sovereignty goals, including the free meals program.
He noted that since 2024, the DPD had issued decisions related to food security and coordinated with regional heads and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs), including to support food security and MBG programs.
The MBG program was launched on January 6, 2025, with the aim of improving the nutritional status of children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and schoolchildren up to the high school level.
The program is targeted to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries across Indonesia, making it one of the largest programs implemented in the country.
The BGN, which is tasked with implementing MBG, earlier reported that 70 cases of food poisoning related to the free meals program were recorded from January to September 2025, with 5,914 beneficiaries affected.
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Translator: Boyke Ledy, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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