The Health Ministry's head of the public communication and information bureau, Aji Muhawarman, stated that to get the SLHS, the Nutrition Fulfillment Unit (SPPG) needs to apply to the health office by attaching administrative documents, lab test results, environmental inspection results, as well as a food safety training certificate.
Prior to being made mandatory, only a few food processing units had SLHS, Muhawarman noted here on Tuesday.
Some requirements to fulfill to get the certificate include compliance with environmental policies, including location, sanitation, ventilation, and waste management; cooking utensils and facilities cleanliness; and clean, not-expired cooking ingredients.
The food handlers' clean habits and health are also checked, as well as the cooking, storing, and distribution process. The unit must also adhere to the MBG program's nutrition and food safety standards.
Should the unit fail to meet the hygiene and sanitation standards, cause mass food poisonings, violate environmental policy, and not improve after receiving complaints, then the certificate can be suspended or revoked, he noted.
To ensure the SPPG can meet the standards, the ministry provides training and guidance for them, he added.
Moreover, the ministry ensures that MBG beneficiaries' nutritional needs are met by formulating food and nutrition safety standards, as well as mitigating mass poisoning through monitoring, surveillance, and investigation.
Muhawarman stated that his administration collaborates with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the Foods and Drugs Authority (BPOM), and regional governments to monitor the situation.
On Sunday, the government made SLHS mandatory for free meal providers, as well as temporarily closing units which have caused mass poisonings for investigation, following some mass poisonings across Indonesia from the free nutritious meal program.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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