BGN calls on around 400 SPPGs to improve quality

Semarang (ANTARA) - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has urged around 400 nutrition service provision units (SPPG) to improve quality in line with evaluations and findings of notable cases. ‘SPPGs that have had notable incidents. In other words, those whose meals caused illness among children,’ said BGN Head Dadan Hindayana in Semarang, on Tuesday. He said this after the Coordinating Meeting on the Implementation of the MBG Program in Central Java, held at the Gradhika Bhakti Praja Building, Semarang. There are also, he said, SPPGs with poor quality, that have not built wastewater treatment plants (IPAL), and some have not yet submitted the Sanitation Hygiene Certificate (SLHS). That, he said, includes 47 SPPGs whose menu quality during Ramadhan did not meet standards. ‘Hopefully, in the future, after we stop, evaluate, investigate and when it operates again it will be better,’ he said. He explained that the duration of the SPPG operation stoppage varies depending on the evaluation results, with the shortest possible being three weeks before resuming operations. ‘For instance, within three weeks all the issues will be identified and can be corrected, then it can operate,’ he said. However, he said, it could take longer if the investigation process takes longer to resolve the found issues. ‘For example, the case in Bogor took two months. In Bandung it almost three months. It depends very much on the size of the case. It depends very much,’ he said. He said that the government certainly hopes the meals served in the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) are of quality, culturally appropriate, and durable. ‘Well, apparently many SPPGs still have difficulty determining a menu that is locally distinctive and can last long. So sometimes they still use something that is easy (not durable),’ he said.