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January 15, 2025 | 09:25 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) highlighted one week of the implementation of the free nutritious meal program. This program is a flagship program of President Prabowo Subianto's government which was initially proposed during the 2024 presidential election campaign.
Member of Commission IX of the DPR, Arzeti Bilbina, said that in the week of implementing this program, the DPR received many complaints from the public. one of which was about the menu served.
"Many students complained because the variety of food was relatively monotonous," said Arzeti in a written statement obtained by Tempo, Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
According to her, the monotonous variety of food menus is one of the factors that causes students at school to be reluctant to eat the food. She considered that there were many complaints if students felt bored with the food served.
"Especially if there is any food that doesn't taste good," she said.
The politician from the National Justice Party continued, in addition to the monotonous variety of food menus, the problem with this program also includes the fact that there are still food dishes that do not comply with the Ministry of Health's Guidelines.
He assessed that the inconsistency of the menu served with the ministry's guidelines caused an imbalance in nutritional value, especially in the proportion of carbohydrates, protein, and nutrition in vegetables.
"We received these complaints from various regions," said Arzeti.
The areas in question include Palembang City, South Sumatra and several areas in East Java.
"Even in Eastern Indonesia there are many complaints regarding the availability of milk and the quality of raw materials," said Arzeti.
Previously, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana did not deny that there were complaints from beneficiaries of the free nutritious meal program regarding the menu served. He said that the taste of the food is crucial.
"We need to continue to be creative because we have to be able to make a menu that people like who may have different tastes," said Dadan when contacted, Thursday, January 9, 2025.
According to Dadan, it does take quite a long time to evaluate this program.
However, during the program, he asked the beneficiaries to provide regular feedback regarding the most preferred menus to each Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG).
"So that the evaluation is optimal," he said.
Regarding the milk offerings that were considered to be unevenly distributed, Dadan said that the offerings would be distributed with an adjustment scheme.
The adjustment scheme that Dadan meant was that the distribution of milk offerings would be carried out dynamically without removing this offering from the menu list at all.
"Regions that do not have dairy farms will still receive milk," Dadan told Tempo, Monday, January 6, 2025.
He explained that the milk offerings on the free nutritious meal menu are indeed part of the menu for areas that have or have dairy farms.
Meanwhile, for other areas that do not have dairy farms, the menu offerings will be adjusted. However, this does not mean that the milk offerings are removed.
"Regions that are difficult to get protein are replaced with other sources," Dadan said
The protein sources, Dadan explained, include eggs, fish dishes, and other components that have a balanced protein content.
"The source of calcium is also replaced with other sources," he said.
Editor's Choice: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Mulls Contributing to Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meal Program
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