More Than 2,000 Free Nutritious Meal Kitchens Permanently Shut: Here’s Why

Jakarta — Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has permanently shut thousands of kitchens involved in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme after finding various violations, particularly in food preparation hygiene and sanitation.

BGN head Sudaryono said kitchens found to have committed serious negligence could face permanent closure.

“We have even permanently closed more than 2,000 kitchens over hygiene and sanitation issues,” Sudaryono said at the Transformasi MBG 2.0 event in Jakarta on Thursday, 29 October 2026.

One case that drew attention occurred in Karo, North Sumatra. Sudaryono said fish that could not fit in a freezer had instead been left at room temperature for more than 12 hours before being cooked.

“For example, in Karo, which caused quite a stir. They bought fish and put it in the freezer, but it did not all fit. The remainder was left at room temperature for more than 12 hours, then cooked. People got sick,” he said.

“In Cirebon, someone bought peeled quail eggs. They were already cooked and peeled. So we do not know when they were cooked, who cooked them, who peeled them, or whether that person’s hands were clean. Nobody knows,” he added.

In addition to sanitation problems, BGN has also found suspected brokerage practices in the management of MBG kitchens. Sudaryono said some individuals set up foundations and sought kitchen locations but lacked the capital to operate them.

“They simply act as brokers and ask for a cut of Rp500, Rp1,000 or Rp1,500 per meal tray. That is for every tray, every day, multiplied by thousands of trays and across numerous kitchens,” he said.

Sudaryono stressed that BGN would root out such practices regardless of who owned the foundation.

“In this current period, we are cleaning all of this up. We do not care who owns the foundation. If a foundation is not playing a genuine role, we will remove it,” he said.