The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG), launched in January 2025, continues to spark public debate and criticism. According to data from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) as of September 2025, 4,711 cases of food poisoning linked to MBG have been reported across various regions in Indonesia, raising public concern about the food safety standards maintained by program providers.
In response to the growing number of poisoning cases, the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FTP UGM), in collaboration with the Mitra Karya Maporina Foundation as a partner of BGN, held a food safety, hygiene, and sanitation training and mentoring session for volunteers of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service UMBG Poisoningnit (SPPG) at the Al Kautsar Central Kitchen Hall.
Dr. Rachma Wikandari, a lecturer at FTP UGM, explained that the leading causes of poisoning cases are foods contaminated with bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Dr. Wikandari emphasized the importance of implementing proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) throughout all stages of food handling, from preparation to delivery to the children.
“Wearing masks, gloves, and protective equipment is essential to maintaining cleanliness and preventing microbial contamination during food processing,” said Dr. Wikandari in a press statement on Monday (Oct. 20).
She added that SPPG volunteers must follow proper procedures for handling raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination. Mistakes in kitchen layout and the shared use of cooking tools, she noted, can also cause food contamination.
Preventive measures include maintaining safe food storage temperatures, ensuring thorough heating, and keeping food serving times to 6 hours or less.
“Monitoring serving time and food temperature is a crucial part of food safety standards. Many poisoning cases occur not because of poor-quality ingredients, but due to prolonged serving without proper temperature control,” the lecturer explained.
Another lecturer at FTP UGM, Dian Anggraini Suroto, highlighted the importance of maintaining the cleanliness and condition of the production area to prevent food contamination.
She emphasized that production room walls and floors must be kept clean from dust and dirt to avoid contaminating food products.
Food processing areas, she added, should be separated from potential contamination sources such as toilets, waste disposal sites, and dirty water channels.
“Food processing sites must not be located near contaminated areas, as contamination can occur indirectly through air, water, or soil,” she explained.
Makbul Hajad, a representative from the Mitra Karya Maporina Foundation, stated that the MBG program plays a key role in strengthening food security and improving children’s dietary habits.
He noted that all production processes conducted by SPPG are intended to ensure that children receive healthy, safe food. He also emphasized the importance of regular evaluations and continuous learning from past experiences to improve production and service quality.
“Over the past two weeks, we have been making improvements together. Every note and shortcoming becomes a shared lesson to enhance our services,” said Hajad.
Rochan Bedu Suja, Head of SPPG Sinduadi, affirmed the unit’s commitment to prevention and mitigation efforts to minimize food poisoning risks.
He stressed that although poisoning incidents are often unpredictable, preventive measures can be applied from the production process onward.
“Negligence can cause serious impacts; therefore, preventive steps are essential to ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he said.
He expressed hope that this training will enhance SPPG volunteers’ understanding of food quality standards so that meals distributed to children are safe and suitable for consumption.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Jesi and Indonesia.go.id