Sudaryono Dismisses Head of Nutrition Service Unit in Papua Following Free Meal Poisoning Incident

Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Sudaryono has dismissed the head of the Nutrition Service Unit (SPPG) in Jayapura, Papua. The dismissal follows a case of food poisoning linked to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme in Depapre District, Jayapura Regency. “This is fatal. We have immediately suspended and dismissed the head of the SPPG,” Sudaryono told reporters after a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food office in Central Jakarta on Thursday. Sudaryono said the BGN has sent a team to Jayapura to investigate the poisoning case. The team will determine the cause of the poisoning affecting hundreds of students after they consumed the MBG meals. “The preliminary investigation suggests they cooked the food too early. We are racing against time, but the main point is to ensure there are no more poisonings. There must be no more,” he explained. Sudaryono stated that the poisoning in Jayapura occurred because the cooking process was done too quickly or at night, meaning the food was no longer fresh when served. “They started cooking too early. They began cooking at 7 p.m. the previous evening for a meal served at 11 a.m. So it was cooked too early, and by the time it was distributed, it had already spoiled,” he said. The Head of BGN also noted that some children took the MBG meals home, consuming them hours later in the afternoon after the food had deteriorated.