NasDem Demands BGN Terminate Contracts of Problematic Nutrition Service Units
Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives and NasDem DPP Chair, Irma Suryani Chaniago, has requested that the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) go beyond merely issuing suspensions to Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) that encounter issues during the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. She stated that SPPGs that repeatedly cause problems, particularly those threatening safety, deserve to have their contracts terminated.
“If it has already threatened lives and has been problematic several times, the contract should be terminated,” Irma told reporters on Friday (4/9/2026).
Irma emphasised that SPPGs failing to meet standards must be suspended immediately. She argued that problematic units should not be allowed to persist as they could become serious issues in the future.
“I request that the BGN suspend SPPGs that do not meet standards, because they will become a time bomb. There should be no exceptions, regardless of who owns the SPPG,” she said.
Irma also urged the BGH to act swiftly in replacing non-compliant units with those that have met all necessary requirements. She suggested that qualified SPPGs should be able to take over services from problematic ones.
“Meanwhile, the BGN must work quickly. SPPGs that are 100% complete, meet all requirements, are hygienic, have adequate space, proper waste treatment facilities (IPAL), certified chefs, and a clean environment should be able to replace those that do not meet requirements and have been operating for at least one year (ensuring they have at least reached their break-even point),” she added.
It is reported that hundreds of students at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic Boarding School in Tanggulangin, Sidoarjo, allegedly suffered food poisoning after consuming MBG meals. The BGN stated that the number of poisoned students reached 512.
The Deputy for Monitoring and Supervision at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Ketut Sumedana, revealed that the cause of the mass poisoning was negligence regarding the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for MBG distribution. Ketut noted that there was a lack of discipline within the SPPG and the distribution process.
“The issue arose because the loading process, which should be completed within 4 hours from cooking to distribution, actually took more than 4 hours in the field,” Ketut told reporters on Thursday (3/9).
“That is what caused the poisoning, because these meals do not use preservatives. Therefore, they spoil easily, and bacteria can develop rapidly,” he continued.
In addition to the incident in Sidoarjo, MBG-related food poisoning also occurred at SMAN 1 Lasem, where 750 students and teachers were allegedly affected. According to reports, teaching and learning activities were halted early as a result of the incident, and students were sent home. The Principal of SMAN 1 Lasem, Juhartutik, explained that students and teachers began experiencing nausea and diarrhoea around 09:00 WIB.
“Ultimately, I ordered that every class be surveyed to record those experiencing diarrhoea. After the survey, there were 20 to 31 people per class. Across 33 classes, a total of 725 students and 25 teachers suffered from diarrhoea. Out of a total student population of 1,174 and 95 teachers,” Juhartutik explained.