BGN Chief: Food Safety Paramount in Free Nutritious Meal Programme

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono, has asserted that food safety is the top priority in the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. According to him, nutritious food must first be confirmed as safe before being consumed by students. “When we talk about nutrition, we talk about literacy, but the most important thing before all of that is food safety. If we talk about being nutritious, that is the second round. The first round is that the nutritious food we provide must be safe first,” Sudaryono said in a written statement on Thursday, 13 August 2026. Sudaryono stated that the BGN is continuously strengthening the MBG food safety system, including through the implementation of the Sanitation Hygiene Eligibility Certificate (SLHS), reinforcing supervisory functions, improving systems, and increasing public transparency and involvement in overseeing the MBG’s execution. He stressed that the BGN is not only targeting a reduction in food poisoning incidents but is ensuring that not a single beneficiary experiences health problems due to MBG meals. “Statistically, the number of poisoning cases has decreased significantly compared to previous periods, but that is not our goal. Our goal is zero. Not a single person, whoever they may be, should experience poisoning,” he asserted. According to him, food safety is a matter concerning the health and safety of beneficiaries, making any violation intolerable. He also emphasised that if food of questionable safety is found, it must not be distributed and must not be consumed. “I have repeated this several times, that when something is found to be unfit, for example a side dish, vegetables, fruit, or rice. If only the vegetables smell bad, the entire meal must not be consumed,” he stressed. The BGN requires MBG kitchens to display the maximum consumption time limit on the distributed food. Food that has passed this time limit must not be consumed and must be returned to the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) for inspection. The BGN also reminded that MBG meals should not be taken home to prevent consumption after the safe time limit has passed. These various supervisory reinforcements are being implemented to ensure MBG meals are safe for consumption and to achieve the target of zero poisoning incidents.