Four Regencies in West Nusa Tenggara Caught Up in Free Nutritious Meal Programme Poisoning Cases
Poisoning cases and the discovery of spoiled food within the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) have reached alarming levels. The Indonesian Ombudsman’s Office representative in NTB has described the situation as an emergency and is pushing for withdrawal of licences from problematic MBG kitchens.
The Ombudsman’s investigation has identified similar cases occurring in four regencies and cities: East Lombok, North Lombok, Central Lombok, and Mataram City. The findings are serious, ranging from spoiled menus, rotten fruit, to maggot-infested ready-to-eat meals.
“Currently, the Indonesian Ombudsman’s representative for NTB Province is conducting an investigation related to food safety for the MBG programme. We have already identified cases in four regencies in NTB, namely East Lombok, North Lombok, Central Lombok, and Mataram City,” stated Dwi Sudarsono, Head of the Ombudsman’s Office in NTB, during an interview at the Office of the Mayor of Mataram on Monday, 2 March 2026.
Dwi emphasised that food safety issues within the MBG programme are not a trivial matter. He attributed the root of the problem to weak control mechanisms at the Nutritional Service Unit (SPPG) level, resulting in insufficient oversight.
“The food safety issues in the MBG programme are quite serious, in my assessment. It deserves attention at both the regional and national management levels. We have identified several problems related to poisoning and substandard food, which stem from weak control mechanisms at the SPPG level, resulting in inadequate supervision,” he said.
Beyond oversight, problems also emerge from the human resources side. Dwi noted that the capacity of SPPG staff is insufficient to guarantee food quality and safety.
“The human resources at SPPG have not had their competencies strengthened, whether in nutrition, food quality, or other areas. Each SPPG typically has only three staff members: a head, a nutritionist, and an accountant, with only two actually working, and they are still young. Their competencies are therefore not yet strong,” he added.
He urged local governments to strengthen oversight roles, including the MBG Task Force (Satgas) in Mataram, so that they not only provide recommendations but also have the authority to close non-compliant kitchens.
“(Therefore) we need to strengthen the role of local government, and here in Mataram there is a MBG Task Force, which needs to be reinforced with greater authority. Not merely offering suggestions, but also having the power to close (problematic units),” he continued.
The Ombudsman believes that MBG kitchens or SPPG units proven to violate standards must be dealt with firmly. Withdrawal of the Sanitation Hygiene Compliance Certificate (SLHS) is cited as a realistic measure.
“If an SPPG is indeed not suitable and commits violations, its SLHS can simply be withdrawn. If, for example, there are environmental issues, the Environmental Health Agency can also revoke its licence. According to me, this is already an emergency situation, since it has occurred in four regencies in NTB. And in one area, there could be 1-2 cases,” he concluded.
Emirald Isfihan, Head of the Health Office (Dinkes) in Mataram, acknowledged that in recent weeks, particularly during Ramadan, several problems have been found in MBG menus distributed to schools in Mataram.
“There were types of fruit that were already rotten, containing maggots, then pudding (spoiled) and so on. Today we agreed together with the Ombudsman that there are internal mechanisms that need to be improved. This must truly be enforced from BGN and at each SPPG for improvement efforts,” she said on Monday.
Emirald affirmed that his office will not hesitate to withdraw the SLHS if procedural violations resulting in poisoning are discovered.
“If the SLHS is complete, but procedures are not followed, mechanisms are cut short, we will firmly withdraw the SLHS from the problematic SPPG. Especially if it results in poisoning issues. We will firmly withdraw the SLHS and issue a recommendation letter for closure of that SPPG,” he stressed.