September 25, 2025 | 11:30 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Head of Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, has urged Nutritious Meal Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), known as free nutritious meal kitchens (MBG), to strictly follow food processing standards to prevent further cases of food poisoning linked to the program.
“We call on all SPPG managers to consistently implement food safety standards in food processing,” Taruna said in a written statement on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
A day earlier, Taruna visited an SPPG run by the Kemala Bhayangkari Foundation in Denpasar, Bali. He noted that while implementation was generally good, several improvements were still needed.
“For example, there was stagnant water that could become a source of contamination,” he said.
Food poisoning cases tied to the MBG program have continued to rise this month. The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) reported that as of September 21, 2025, the number of victims had reached 6,452 people, an increase of 1,092 compared to the previous week.
“This is not normal. The government should immediately declare a state of emergency and temporarily halt the MBG program for a comprehensive evaluation,” said JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji on Wednesday, September 24.
JPPI’s figures differ from data provided by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), BPOM, and the Health Ministry, which put the total closer to 5,000.
So far, only West Bandung Regency in West Java has declared a local emergency after 364 children were poisoned in Cipongkor District.
Taruna emphasized that BPOM’s role in the MBG program is limited to monitoring potential food safety risks and providing recommendations for improvement to BGN.
Preventive efforts include training key SPPG personnel and monitoring incidents nationwide.
“BPOM has been tasked with helping oversee the food consumed by children in this program to ensure it is safe, healthy, and nutritious. This is not just a free meal program, but a vital investment in the golden generation of 2045,” Taruna said.
He added that BPOM has trained over 30,000 Indonesian Development Enablers, guided more than 40,000 food handlers, and deployed around 900 experts across the country.
Taruna expressed hope that the SPPG in Denpasar could become a model for others by meeting all safety requirements.
He underscored that the program’s success depends on synergy between institutions, the commitment of SPPG managers to maintain standards, and education for beneficiaries on hygiene and sanitation.
“We fully support this program because it is urgently needed in our country. But we must ensure that extraordinary incidents like food poisoning do not happen again,” he said.
Deputy State Secretary Minister Juri Ardiantoro acknowledged that the government has received public calls to suspend the program. However, he stressed that halting it altogether is not an option since it is a direct mandate from the president.
“We will make improvements while the program continues, but there is no need to completely suspend it,” Juri said on Wednesday, September 24.
Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the writing of this article.
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