Parepare Police Chief Denies Intervening in Free Meal Kitchen Certification

Parepare Police Chief AKBP Indra Waspada Yudha has denied accusations that he intervened in the issuance of a Sanitation and Hygiene Eligibility Certificate (SLHS) for a Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) kitchen in Lumpue Village, Parepare City, South Sulawesi. The kitchen, operated by the Parepare Police, has not yet obtained the SLHS, which is a prerequisite for its operation. However, the Service Unit for Nutrition Fulfilment (SPPG) has not received the certificate because it is not yet operational. “To obtain the SLHS, the kitchen must first be operational so samples can be taken. If it is not yet operating, what is there to sample?” Indra told CNNIndonesia.com on Friday (12/6).

Head of the Parepare Police SPPG, Muhammad Nur Akram Mulha, explained that one requirement for the SLHS issuance is an Environmental Health Inspection (IKL) food sampling, which must be conducted while the kitchen is in operation. “It must be processed when operations are underway, and the Health Office must directly observe the processing and distribution of food to ensure everything meets standards,” Akram said. He added that the SPPG has completed all other inspection stages required for the certificate, and the IKL has already been declared compliant with established health standards. “We are just waiting for the SLHS certificate to be issued by the Health Office, because all sample testing and environmental health inspections have met the standards,” he clarified.

Akram stressed that all MBG meals undergo inspection and testing by food safety officers before distribution to ensure they are safe for consumption by students. “Food safety testing is carried out every day before distribution to schools,” he said. The Parepare Police SPPG currently serves around 1,839 beneficiaries, including students from early childhood education, primary, junior high, and senior high schools, as well as participants in integrated health posts (posyandu).