“It is mandatory. Every SPPG (Nutritional Fulfillment Service Unit) must have a hygiene and sanitation certificate,” Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan told a press conference on handling MBG-related outbreaks at the Health Ministry in Jakarta.
He said the government would begin checks to ensure compliance, stressing that the safety of children receiving meals under the program was the top priority.
Hasan added that he had asked Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to maximize the role of community health centers (puskesmas) nationwide in actively monitoring SPPGs.
Related news: RI Govt to optimize health centers to monitor free meals kitchens
“All steps are being carried out transparently to assure the public that the food provided is safe and nutritious for Indonesian children,” he said.
Launched on Jan. 6, 2025, the MBG program aims to improve nutrition for children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and students up to high school level. It targets 82.9 million beneficiaries across Indonesia, making it one of the country’s largest social initiatives.
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the program, reported on Friday that 70 food poisoning cases linked to MBG were recorded from January to September, affecting 5,914 people.
To strengthen food safety, BGN said it would recruit about 60,000 certified chefs for 30,000 kitchens.
“If each kitchen needs two chefs, we will need 60,000,” BGN Deputy Head Nanik Sudaryati Deyang said.
Related news: BGN launches public hotline for free meal program oversight
Translator: Putu Indah, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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