Mitigating Food Poisoning Cases: Sultan HB X Highlights Food Processing and Kitchen Facility Readiness
The Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamenglar Hamengku Buwono X, has provided a firm response regarding the food poisoning incidents that recently emerged during the implementation of the Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Responding to calls from various parties to halt operations, the Sultan assessed that kitchen operations do not necessarily need to be stopped entirely, provided that managers are able to implement improvements and manage governance effectively.
“In my view, as long as it can be handled properly, there is no need to stop it. I believe that the poisoning was unintentional, but rather a result of negligence,” stated the Sultan. He highlighted that the primary issue often lies in technical negligence during the processing of food ingredients, particularly meat and fish. Managers frequently fail to meticulously check the quality of raw materials, such as ensuring whether the colour of the meat remains fresh or has turned blue.
Furthermore, the Sultan emphasised the importance of available supporting facilities, such as adequate freezers in every Service Unit kitchen. Storage capacity is often disproportionate to the daily volume of raw materials (for example, the need for stocks of dozens of kilograms), resulting in ingredients being forced to stay outside, risking spoilage and toxicity within days. Another critical point raised was cooking time management, particularly for vegetable menus which are prone to spoiling. The Sultan warned against cooking vegetables too early if they are not to be consumed until lunchtime, as this increases the risk of spoilage and toxicity by the time students eat.
Through this in-depth evaluation, the Sultan hopes that all MBG programme kitchen managers in the region can strictly increase operational precision to guarantee the safety and health of the beneficiaries.
In line with this, the Biijana Paksi Sitengsu Foundation has urged the government to conduct a thorough evaluation and mitigate food poisoning risks from upstream to downstream. This includes implementing transparent supply chain management and a monitoring system to anticipate potential food poisoning early. This step is deemed urgent to provide safety certainty for students and the community following the incidents in the MBments of the MBG programme.
Teddy, representing the Biijana Paksi Sitengsu Foundation, stated that these critical views were intended to provide input to Sultan HB X, emphasising the importance of transparency and MBG governance. “We support Sultan HB X’s statement, and we are here to provide suggestions so that MBG poisoning mitigation can utilise a well-structured system from upstream to downstream,” said Teddy.
Additionally, Teddy urged for real, moral, and open accountability to the public, particularly to the parents of students and the affected community in Yogyakarta. “The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) should come directly to Yogyakarta, meet the parents and the community, and offer a public apology. The management and the Head of the BGN must take full substantive responsibility, rather than merely imposing administrative sanctions or bureaucratic actions,” said RM Teddy Anggoro, Secretary of the Biijana Paksi Sitengsu Foundation.
Teddy assessed that the supervision of the school nutrition programme must not stop at administrative aspects or momentary facility inspections. Mitigation must be comprehensive, starting from the source. “This involves ensuring strict standardisation in the selection of local food ingredients, the supply chain, and the hygiene of farmers and staple food vendors,” he explained.
Furthermore, there must be strict supervision in the kitchens of the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) to ensure that cooking, packaging, and distribution processes meet food hygiene and sanitation (HSP) standards. Periodic evaluations of the distribution mechanism, up to the serving of food to students in schools, are necessary to prevent cross-contamination or delays in consumption. “This holistic mitigation step is expected to restore public trust and ensure similar incidents do not recur in the future for the safety of the nation’s next generation,” said Teddy.
As a long-term anticipatory measure from upstream to downstream, the BGN held a strategic coordination meeting with partners and managing foundations. Several crucial policy points were outlined, including the requirement that foundations or partners must not remain passive after constructing the physical kitchens. Partners are now required to actively supervise daily operations to prevent the risk of suspension due to quality violations.
Teddy noted that from the coordination results, the BGN is proposing that the role of the Chef should not only be as a cook but should function as a ‘Deputy Kitchen Head’ and a direct control representative for the foundation. “The partner-selected Chefs will have their data verified by the BGN through a specific registration link. Partners are given full authority to evaluate the performance of the SPPG Head and have the right to recommend replacements if the field managers are deemed incompetent or difficult to coordinate with,” explained Teddy.
Additionally, the signing of Cooperation Agreements (PKS) between the BGN and partners will be carried out simultaneously in their respective regions, with the obligation to complete legal documents through the Nutrition Fulfilment Information System (SIPGN). Through this tightening of regulations, the government hopes that food safety standards, nutritional quality, and transparency in the implementation of the MBG programme can be optimally maintained to protect the safety of students in schools. These pressures also respond to a visit by the Office of the Presidential Staff (KSP) to the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) in Sorosutan, Yogyakarta, to ensure that the MBG programme governance is running according to procedure.