BGN Temporarily Halts 47 Nutritional Service Units Over Substandard Free Meal Programme
The National Nutrition Body (BGN) has temporarily halted operations of 47 Nutritional Service Provision Units (SPPG) since the beginning of Ramadan. The decision was made following repeated findings of substandard free nutritious meal (MBG) menus that failed to meet quality and food safety standards.
According to data from the Deputy Board of Monitoring and Oversight as of 28 February 2026 at 11.20 a.m. West Indonesian Time, the 47 cases are distributed across three operational regions. Region I recorded five incidents, Region II thirty incidents, and Region III twelve incidents. Findings include mouldy bread, rotten fruit with maggots, stale side dishes, raw or spoiled eggs, and meals deemed non-compliant with quality standards.
Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, Deputy Head of BGN, stated that the temporary suspension represents an integral part of quality control mechanisms that cannot be compromised. “We do not tolerate deviations from food standards in this programme. Every finding is immediately addressed with temporary operational suspension for comprehensive evaluation,” said Nanik in a written statement on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
According to Nanik, the temporary closure decision was made following field verification processes and hierarchical reports from regional oversight teams. Evaluation was conducted not only on food products, but also on kitchen management, distribution chains, and quality control procedures.
“The MBG programme concerns children’s health and the state’s credibility in ensuring adequate nutritional intake. Therefore, our oversight is conducted rigorously and transparently,” she stated.
In several cases, food identified as unsafe was withdrawn before consumption by students. Nevertheless, BGN imposed administrative sanctions as a form of standard enforcement and systemic learning for all programme operators.
“SPPG units that are suspended may resume operations after all improvement recommendations have been met and units have passed renewed verification. We want to ensure quality is truly maintained before services reopen,” said Nanik.