47 Free Nutritious Meals Providers Suspended During Ramadan Over Substandard Food Quality
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has taken firm action in response to Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) menus during Ramadan that were deemed unfit for consumption and failed to meet quality standards. By the ninth day, BGN temporarily suspended operations at 47 Nutrition Service Units (SPPG).
BGN Deputy Head Nanik S Deyang stressed that the temporary suspension was part of a quality control mechanism that cannot be compromised. Nanik said the agency would not tolerate deviations in food standards.
“We do not tolerate food standard deviations in this programme. Every finding is immediately acted upon with temporary operational suspension for comprehensive evaluation,” said Nanik in Jakarta on Saturday (28 February 2026).
According to her, the decision was made following field verification processes and hierarchical reports from regional supervision teams. The evaluation covered not only food products but also kitchen management, distribution chains, and quality control procedures.
“The MBG programme concerns children’s health and the state’s credibility in ensuring nutritional intake. Therefore, we conduct our supervision strictly and transparently,” she stressed.
Cases Spread Across 3 Regions
Data from the Monitoring and Supervision Deputy as of 28 February 2026 at 11:20 WIB recorded 47 cases spread across three working regions. Region I had 5 incidents, Region II had 30 incidents, and Region III had 12 incidents.
The findings included mouldy bread, rotten and maggot-infested fruit, spoilt side dishes, raw or rotten eggs, and menus deemed not to meet quality standards.
In several cases, food identified as unfit was withdrawn before student consumption. However, BGN still imposed administrative sanctions as a form of standard enforcement and systemic learning for all service providers.
“SPPG that are suspended can resume operations after all improvement recommendations are fulfilled and declared to have passed re-verification. We want to ensure quality is truly maintained before services are reopened,” concluded Nanik.