Speaking during a visit to State Vocational High School 1 in Jakarta on Thursday, marking the first day of the program’s rollout in schools this year, he said the certified units represent only about 23 percent of the 19,188 SPPG facilities currently operating across the country to support the Free Nutritious Meals program.
Benjamin urged regional health offices to accelerate certification efforts and ensure more service units comply with mandatory hygiene and sanitation requirements.
“Fortunately, 4,535 service units have been certified so far. This means every aspect, including laboratory testing, has been thoroughly examined. If shortcomings are found, improvements must be completed before certification is issued,” he said.
He stressed that certification is not a formality but a rigorous process involving physical inspections and laboratory analysis to ensure food safety for all beneficiaries.
Beyond hygiene certification, Benjamin reminded schools to fully comply with Presidential Regulation No. 115 of 2025 on expanding the scope of the Free Nutritious Meals program.
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Under the regulation, eligibility extends beyond students to include teachers, administrative personnel and school cleaning staff.
“The President has expanded the list of beneficiaries. In some schools, staff have not yet received meals. We urge schools to ensure they are included. The program should benefit not only students but also teachers and all school employees,” he said.
Benjamin also cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the program’s impact on children’s nutritional status.
He said any assessment must be grounded in medical evaluation and conducted over time to ensure credible and accountable results.
“The impact must be calculated carefully and not arbitrarily. That is why it takes time. At this stage, we cannot yet present figures, because the assessment must follow proper medical standards,” he added.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti Prameswari, Primayanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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