Semarang Health Centres Ordered to Inspect Free Nutritious Meals at SPPG Facilities Before Distribution
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG – Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti stated that she has instructed health centres in her area to conduct rounds to inspect the free nutritious meal (MBG) menu before it is consumed by students. This is to prevent extraordinary incidents.
“We have ordered all health centres around the SPPG to check the food every morning. So before the MBG is packed, our health centres will go around,” Agustina said after attending the National Dialogue on Best Practices for Free Nutritious Meals and ASEAN ID-Nourish at Hotel Gumaya, Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday (29/4/2026).
According to Agustina, this practice is already in place. “Hopefully everything is under control and the SPPG takes it seriously when the health centres arrive, in maintaining the health of the food that will be packed for the children,” she said.
The National Dialogue on Best Practices for Free Nutritious Meals and ASEAN ID-Nourish was attended by several figures, including Deputy for Provision and Distribution of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Brigjen TNI (Ret.) Suardi Samiran, Indonesian Ambassador to Italy Junimart Girsang, Italian Ambassador to Indonesia Massimiliano Bertolo, and Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan.
In his remarks, Suardi Samiran acknowledged that the MBG programme still faces many shortcomings. Therefore, he asked local governments to assist in implementing MBG, particularly in supervising nutrition fulfilment service units (SPPG).
“We realise that the implementation of the MBG programme still faces various challenges and room for improvement. Therefore, efforts to improve quality are continuously carried out,” Suardi said.
He asked regional heads to actively monitor and supervise the implementation of MBG in their respective areas. “I hope to the regional leaders, because the ones being fed are the children in that area, so please the mayors and regents to conduct inspections at the SPPG units in their respective areas,” he said.
According to Suardi, local governments have departmental apparatus that can be involved in supervising the MBG implementation, including health, education, agriculture, and civil registry services. “If they are involved, they will know whether this is true or not in the implementation of this activity,” he said.
He specifically asked health services in each region to also check SPPG units that have Hygiene Sanitation Fit Certificates (SLHS). “Please assist and supervise at the same time, whether they are truly compliant with SLHS regulations. Do not let the SLHS become just a requirement, but does not meet the provisions,” Suardi said.
Throughout 2026, several suspected MBG poisoning cases have occurred from various areas in Central Java. Almost all of those cases involved SPPG units that have obtained SLHS.