BGN Refuses to Standardise MBG Menu Across All SPPG Units, Here is the Reason
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has refused to standardise the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) menu across all Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) in Indonesia.
The reason is that standardising the MBG menu would put pressure on high-demand food ingredients and cause price surges.
BGN also aims to empower local resource potential and the preferences of local communities receiving MBG benefits in preparing nutritious and healthy food.
Dadan provided an example: during President Prabowo Subianto’s birthday on 17 October 2025, BGN standardised the MBG menu to nasi goreng and eggs for 36 million beneficiaries.
As a result, egg prices rose by Rp 3,000, and the requirement reached 2,200 tons.
Dadan also clarified his statement about needing 19,000 cattle, noting it was merely an estimate if all SPPG units were to simultaneously prepare beef dishes on the same day.
If that were done, one SPPG would need one cow.
“This is just a hypothesis. So, one SPPG, if it prepares beef, would need one cow. If we instruct all SPPG units to prepare beef on a certain date, it would simply be the total number of SPPG units multiplied by one cow,” said Dadan.
“Through screening the beneficiaries, BGN can use the budget efficiently, while also avoiding waste of state funds, because MBG could become food waste if not eaten by students,” said Deputy Head of BGN, Nanik S Deyang, on Monday (20/4/2026).
This team will later screen which schools are eligible or not to receive MBG.
The team will also distribute questionnaires to determine whether they want to receive MBG or not.
“Likewise, in public schools where many students are from affluent backgrounds, it is necessary to ask who wants MBG and who does not, because on average the students already have better provisions or bring pocket money to buy snacks at the canteen,” said Nanik.
The MBG optimisation team is targeting schools in DKI Jakarta first, before moving to other regions.