Secondary School in Pamekasan Rejects 1,022 Free Nutritious Meal Packages Over Raw Catfish, BGN Responds

SMA Negeri 2 Pamekasan, East Java, rejected 1,022 portions of Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) packages scheduled for distribution to students and teachers on Monday, 9 March 2026. The school refused the meals because it discovered that the catfish menu items were delivered in raw, marinated condition, with some still alive.

The headmaster of SMA Negeri 2 Pamekasan, Moh Arifin, stated that the rejection applied to the MBG allocation for three days, spanning 9 to 11 March 2026. He assessed that the quality of the MBG menu provided by the catering service was unsuitable and posed potential risks to student safety.

“The rejection for Monday, 9 March 2026 covers the three-day MBG allocation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It was rejected. The three-day allocation for the 9th, 10th, and 11th [consisted of] two pieces of tempeh, two pieces of tofu, and one raw catfish,” Arifin stated on Tuesday, 10 March.

Arifin expressed regret at the approach taken by the MBG kitchen operator or Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) As-Salman, located in Buddagan Village, Pademawu District, which he deemed inattentive to food hygiene standards. According to him, the raw catfish delivered would spoil quickly and could not be consumed by students.

“The MBG provided to SMA 2 today is unsuitable for distribution to students and teachers. Why? First, the catfish, which is still alive, is estimated to rot by 12:00 WIB and contaminate other food items. So we apologise to the kitchen, but the school must prioritise the children’s safety,” he said.

Arifin revealed that he found living catfish placed in the same container as pieces of tempeh and cooked tofu.

“The evidence is that it is still raw—the catfish is still raw, with its whiskers still intact, which the school deeply regrets. Frankly, it will become waste at school because the children will throw it away,” he stated.

Furthermore, the school noted this was not the first such occurrence. Arifin announced he would initiate a review of the cooperation agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SPPG.

“There is therefore a tendency for the school to terminate the contract soon. We will communicate the MoU kitchen change in writing,” he said.

In response, nutritionist at SPPG As-Salman Fikri Mutawakkil acknowledged the rejection incident. However, he explained that providing marinated catfish was an effort to preserve the protein content and nutritional value during storage.

“Why we use marinated catfish: first, to prevent loss of nutrients in the catfish. Second, to add protein on that day. Third, marinated catfish storage lasts up to one day,” Fikri said.

SPPG As-Salman also regretted the circulating video, which showed only the negative aspect without displaying the complete menu components including pizza bread, boiled eggs, milk, and dragon fruit.

“The video only showed the catfish, tofu, and cooked tempeh menu alone. But it did not include the other menu items like pizza bread, milk, boiled eggs, and dragon fruit. This is what we very much regret and what was not shown in the video,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Fikri committed to conducting a comprehensive evaluation and promised improvements going forward.

“Moving forward, we from SPPG As-Salman, Buddagan Village, Pademawu District apologise if there have been any inappropriate words or actions, and we will improve going forward. Perhaps this serves as an evaluation for us and will be better in the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) provided clarification regarding the viral video showing the MBG programme menu at a school in Pamekasan Regency, East Java.

BGN stated that the video only displayed a partial menu, creating an incomplete perception of the food prepared by SPPG Pamekasan Pademawu Buddagan.

BGN Deputy Head Nanik Sudaryati Deyang explained that based on field reports, the meal package prepared by SPPG actually consists of several menu components: marinated catfish, cooked tofu and tempeh, pizza bread, boiled eggs, full-cream milk, and dragon fruit.

“Based on the reports we received, the menu prepared by SPPG is actually complete. However, in the circulating video, only a partial menu is visible because the school refused to remove the meal package from the distribution vehicle,” Nanik stated in Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 March.

BGN emphasised that each menu in the MBG programme is designed with attention to nutritional balance and food safety standards. Consequently, every report or controversy in the field will be followed up through coordination and evaluation to ensure optimal service delivery to beneficiaries.

“The MBG programme prioritises food safety and nutritional quality. We continue to monitor and evaluate to ensure that the entire process from food preparation to distribution complies with established standards,” Nanik said.

SPPG Pamekasan Pademawu Buddagan serves a total of 3,329 beneficiaries, comprising secondary school students (SMA/SMK/MA), junior secondary students (SMP/MTs), early childhood and kindergarten children (PAUD/TK), students at special schools (SLB), education staff, and groups of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children in the region.