BGN Challenges SPPG to Create 5-Star Quality MBG Meals While Keeping Ingredients at Rp 10,000

JAKARTA - The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has challenged Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) to innovate menus in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Dadan stated that the expected MBG menus must be of 5-star quality, but the raw ingredients must still cost Rp 10,000. He hopes that collaboration between nutrition experts and professional chefs can produce distinctive MBG menus that not only meet nutritional standards but also match the quality of high-end cuisine. “I hope that one day innovations in food from nutrition experts and professional chefs will emerge, resulting in a characteristic Programme Nutritious Meal with 5-star quality, but at the MBG Programme price with raw materials of Rp 10,000,” Dadan said in his statement on Thursday (19/3/2026). According to him, during the fasting month, the MBG served must not only be nutritious and fresh but also have longer shelf life. “This product innovation is important, especially related to the programme during Ramadan, where we need high-quality, fresh, but long-lasting food. That’s the challenge,” he explained. Dadan highlighted the rapid development of the number of SPPG in the last year. If the number of SPPG during Ramadan 2025 was only around 1,000 units, now the number of kitchens has increased to around 25,000 units across Indonesia. According to Dadan, this scale increase also brings challenges in maintaining service quality consistency. Although there are a few SPPG that have come under public scrutiny, he considers it still within reasonable limits when viewed from the overall number operating. “So, if there are 62 that go viral and become something extraordinary out of 25,000, in percentage terms it’s actually small, but that’s what the public sees,” Dadan said. Dadan also emphasised the importance of compliance with technical instructions and standard operating procedures (SOP) that have been established. “We must continue to make improvements internally so that quality is even and no SPPG deviates from the technical guidelines and SOP set,” he added.