National Nutrition Board suspends two nutrition service units in South Sulawesi over delayed free meal distribution
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The National Nutrition Board (BGN) has temporarily suspended the operations of two Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) in South Sulawesi that have repeatedly delayed the delivery of free nutritious meals, with some deliveries occurring late in the evening and drawing public attention on social media.
Deputy Head of BGN Nanik Sudaryati Deyang stated that the two meal service kitchens affected by the temporary suspension are SPPG Makassar City Biringkanaya Sudiang 2 and SPPG Pangkajene and Kepulauan Bungoro Samalewa 1.
“Distribution delays extending into the evening cannot be repeated as they risk compromising the quality of the programme’s service to student beneficiaries. We are taking decisive action by temporarily suspending the operations of the affected SPPG units to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of distribution management, raw material handling, and operational readiness in the field,” she said in Jakarta on Sunday.
The temporary suspension of both units’ operations is effective from 16 March 2026 until a to-be-determined date pending the results of further investigation. The action was taken after BGN received complaints and conducted an initial investigation into alleged negligence in quality control processes and operational preparedness for distribution in the field.
Monitoring results revealed that raw material preparation and packaging processes were not being executed according to standard operating procedures, resulting in delays in distributing free meal packages to beneficiary schools. In one incident, distribution was only completed in the evening.
BGN views any disruption to the free meal programme seriously, as it concerns direct service provision to beneficiaries at schools.
“Initial findings show that quality control processes and distribution preparations have not been implemented optimally, resulting in delayed delivery of free meal packages to beneficiaries,” she said.
The incident gained public attention after a video of complaints about delayed distribution of free meal packages was uploaded to social media and went viral. In one instance, schools were unable to receive meal packages on the scheduled day because distribution occurred after the school gates had closed.
BGN has ensured that meal packages not distributed on the day of the incident are not redistributed in conditions that could compromise quality. Instead, distribution has been rescheduled for the following day with replacement food items deemed unsuitable for use removed, whilst implementing guidance and evaluation of SPPG management to prevent similar incidents.