The appointment of Sudaryono as head of the National Nutrition Agency\n(BGN), replacing Nanik S. Deyang, has drawn sharp criticism. Irma\nHidayana, the shadow cabinet\u2019s Health Minister, believes the change of\nofficial reflects the true direction and purpose of the Free Nutritious\nMeals (MBG) programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe appointment of Sudaryono, who has no expertise in nutrition and\npublic health, increasingly shows that the MBG programme was not\ngenuinely created to solve the nutritional and health problems of its\ntarget beneficiaries,\u201d said Irma in an official statement on Thursday,\n23 July 2026.<\/p>\n
Before being sworn in, Sudaryono served as Deputy Minister of\nAgriculture. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi revealed that the\nmain reason for his appointment was his involvement in formulating the\ntechnical aspects of the MBG programme from a food supply chain\nperspective \u2014 rather than from the standpoint of public health or food\nsafety for beneficiaries.<\/p>\n
Calls for an Evidence-Based Approach<\/p>\n
For Irma, the absence of a nutrition background at the helm of the\nBGN is not merely an administrative detail that can be excused. She\nstressed that a massive-scale nutrition intervention programme such as\nMBG should be led by progressive experts in order to reduce the burden\nof non-communicable diseases and boost long-term productivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis intervention can only be carried out through public health\nstrategies, including the use of evidence-based nutrition and public\nhealth policy to ensure effectiveness, efficiency and accurate\ntargeting,\u201d said the founder of LaporSehat, who is also the initiator of\nthe independent MBG Watch monitoring platform.<\/p>\n
This demand is grounded in poor field data. Between October 2025 and\nJanuary 2026, MBG Watch received 535 citizen reports, of which 20 were\ndirect cases of food poisoning. Other findings showed a recurring\npattern: foul-smelling, slimy and undercooked food was still distributed\nto schools, alongside a dominance of ultra-processed foodstuffs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission\n(KPAI), based on media monitoring, recorded that as many as 12,658\nchildren fell victim to MBG-related food poisoning across 38 provinces\nthroughout 2025.<\/p>\n
Irma believes the string of poisoning cases proves that the MBG\nprogramme has been run without regard for the public health ethical\nprinciple of non-maleficence (do no harm).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis ethical principle requires that all nutrition programmes must\nbe safe and have no adverse impact on beneficiaries. Only progressive\npublic health and nutrition experts possess this principle,\u201d she\nsaid.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shadow-cabinet-criticises-sudaryonos-appointment-to-national-nutrition-agency-1784800762", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }