Less than three months after taking office, Indonesian President\nPrabowo Subianto swiftly launched the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG)\nprogramme.<\/p>\n
The programme began on 6 January 2025 at 190 locations across\nIndonesia. Its launch marked a new chapter under Prabowo\u2019s\nadministration and embodied an ambitious vision to build national\nnutritional resilience and strengthen Indonesia\u2019s human resources in\npursuit of the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.<\/p>\n
In practice, however, implementing MBG has proved far from\nstraightforward. Over nearly two years, a range of problems has emerged\nat every level.<\/p>\n
At the top, senior officials at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN),\nwhich was entrusted with delivering MBG, have been implicated in\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Former MBG head Dadan Hindayana and his deputies, Sony Sanjaya and\nLodewyk Pusung, were arrested by the Attorney General\u2019s Office. Military\nofficials assigned to the BGN were also arrested, including personnel\ninvolved in procurement.<\/p>\n
The alleged corruption involved substantial sums. In the electric\nmotorbike procurement case, state losses are estimated at Rp863.8\nbillion.<\/p>\n
An audit by the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP),\nreleased by the Attorney General\u2019s Office in late 2026, recorded total\nlosses of around Rp10 trillion in the management of the MBG\nprogramme.<\/p>\n
At the grassroots level, MBG operations at numerous locations have\nbeen marred by food-poisoning incidents. The Indonesian Education\nMonitoring Network (JPPI) recorded 43,838 suspected victims across 36\nprovinces from the programme\u2019s launch in 2025 to the end of August 2026.\nOf these, 15,735 cases occurred between January and August 2026,\nincluding 3,079 in August alone.<\/p>\n
The National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) said that\nfood-poisoning incidents connected to MBG were generally caused by\nmeal-preparation standard operating procedures not being properly\nfollowed by Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPGs).<\/p>\n
Some procedures were neglected, including ensuring that food was\nserved soon after cooking; long delays increase the risk of spoilage. In\none instance, an SPPG kitchen cooked meals at night but did not\ndistribute them until nearly midday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a gap of almost 12 hours. Why does failing to meet the\nstandards cause food poisoning? Because the food undergoes\ndenaturation,\u201d BPOM head Taruna Ikrar said.<\/p>\n
Cases have also involved unhygienic food storage and preparation. In\none example, tempeh was placed next to a toilet.<\/p>\n
According to Health Ministry data presented by the National\nCommission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), by 12 May 2026 there had been\n449 extraordinary food-poisoning events linked to MBG, involving 38,023\nvictims across 36 provinces and 221 regencies and municipalities.<\/p>\n
The carelessness of some SPPGs points to institutional failures. How\ncould unfit SPPGs have been allowed to distribute meals?<\/p>\n
The BGN has acknowledged problems at SPPGs. By August, it had closed\n504 SPPG kitchens for failing to meet sanitation and hygiene\nstandards.<\/p>\n
By September, a further 1,999 SPPG kitchens had been temporarily\nclosed because they had not registered for a Certificate of Eligibility\nfor Sanitation and Hygiene (SLHS) with their local Health Office.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/steering-the-free-nutritious-meals-programme-in-the-right-direction-1792486301", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }