BGN Chief Firm: If Free Nutritious Meal Is Unfit, Don't Pick the Sides, Return Everything

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono, has urged members of the public receiving Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) not to consume the food if it is found to be in an unfit condition.

Sudaryono, who is familiarly known as Mas Dar, stressed that MBG meals deemed unfit must be returned immediately to the Service Unit for Nutrition Fulfilment (SPPG) for further inspection and investigation.

According to him, food safety is one of the key concerns in the implementation of the MBG Programme. Monitoring is carried out not only when the food is being prepared, but also once it has arrived at educational units and before it is consumed by students.

“If it is found to be unfit — for example, there is a side dish, vegetables, fruit and rice, and only the vegetables smell off — none of it should be consumed,” Sudaryono said during a webinar on Nutrition Literacy and Food Safety for Teachers in Support of the MBG Programme, attended in Jakarta on Wednesday (12/8/2026).

Sudaryono emphasised that MBG meals showing signs of being unfit must not be consumed simply because some components still appear to be in good condition.

For instance, if an MBG package contains rice, a side dish, vegetables and fruit, and one item such as the vegetables is found to have an abnormal smell, the entire MBG package must be considered unfit for consumption.

Accordingly, MBG recipients are not permitted to take only the food deemed still safe and leave behind the problematic portion.

Sudaryono asked that MBG meals unfit for consumption be returned promptly to the SPPG. This step is necessary so that the food can be examined and the cause of the unfit condition can be traced.

“If it is found to be unfit, it is obligatory not to consume it and to return it to the SPPG, and we will then carry out an inspection,” he asserted.

In the implementation of MBG at educational units, teachers have an important role in ensuring that the food received by students is in a safe condition before it is consumed.

The BGN is encouraging teachers to carry out organoleptic checks. This inspection is conducted by observing the condition of the food before it is eaten together with the students.