BGN Head: Free Nutritious Meals Must Not Be Consumed After Four Hours

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono, has reminded that Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) should not be taken home by students and must be consumed within four hours. This statement was made in light of recent food poisoning cases in Papua and Semarang, Central Java, as he reiterated a zero-tolerance target for such fatal incidents. “All deliveries must ensure that from the time the food is cooked until it is consumed, it adheres to the standard of no more than four hours. There must be a consumption time limit or ‘best before’, and we need to strengthen education,” he said during a press conference on the refocusing of the MBG programme at the Coordinating Ministry for Food in Jakarta on Thursday. He stressed that the BGN has established a zero-tolerance policy for food poisoning cases to ensure that standard operational procedures are followed. In addition, school supervisors and teachers are asked to educate students not to take MBG meals home and to consume them immediately at school. He also requested that the MBG programme encourage teachers to eat together with students, not only to set an example in queuing, washing hands, arranging food containers, praying, and expressing gratitude, but also to provide education about nutrition. Sudaryono further emphasised that compliance with Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) across all Nutritional Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) is key to the food safety of the MBG programme. This measure is a follow-up to the evaluation of several food safety incidents that occurred during the programme’s implementation. Sudaryono confirmed that reports of suspected food poisoning are always followed up through the temporary suspension of the relevant SPPG’s operations, food sample testing, and investigations to determine the cause.