One year has passed since the Free Nutritious Meal (Makan Bergizi Gratis/MBG) program was officially implemented in Indonesia. During its implementation, several anomalies and controversies have emerged. The program, which primarily aims to improve children’s nutrition and prevent stunting, appears to still require extensive evaluation and improvement. Cases of mass food poisoning that continue to threaten children have become a major concern, as the MBG program represents a long-term health investment for the nation’s future generations.
A lecturer at the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FK-KMK UGM), Dr. Mirza Hapsari Sakti Titis Penggalih, stated that school lunch programs such as Free Nutritious Meals carry a very noble and important objective: preparing future generations toward Indonesia Emas 2045.
“Regardless of political agendas, school lunch programs have long been implemented in many countries and are essentially an obligation of the state to its citizens,” she said on Thursday (Jan. 8).
In addressing cases of mass food poisoning suspected to result from lax oversight throughout the food preparation process, she emphasized the need for stricter, more effective oversight of food production.
According to her, individual schools could be given responsibility for providing lunch to their students, as they are better positioned to supervise due to smaller coverage, familiarity with student conditions, and the frequent use of local ingredients.
“That way, errors in meal distribution and food safety can be minimized,” she explained.
Dr. Penggalih further elaborated that food service operations must adhere to existing regulations, including ministerial regulations issued by the Ministry of Health concerning food service management.
These regulations classify food service settings such as high-risk groups, mass catering groups, transportation, and others. In this context, schoolchildren, including pregnant women, are categorized as high-risk groups.
“Handling high-risk groups cannot be done carelessly,” she emphasized.
In addition, she highlighted the use of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the MBG menu. The inclusion of such products contradicts the Ministry of Health’s campaign to reduce sugar, salt, and fat consumption.
“Children are being given UPF, which contains sodium, added sugars, and fats. The impact may not be visible now, but in 10-15 years it could become a ticking time bomb of chronic diseases,” she warned.
Nevertheless, Dr. Penggalih stressed that the success of the Free Nutritious Meal program cannot be measured in the short term. She noted that the impact of nutrition investment can only be seen after one educational cycle, approximately 10-15 years in the future.
However, Indonesia’s diverse local food resources—comparable in quality to imported products—should be given space to be used in line with regional cultures. This approach could help mitigate the risk of food incompatibility caused by children’s varying physiological conditions across regions.
“Papua cannot be equated with Java or Sumatra. Staple foods differ. If everything is standardized with UPF, it simply does not fit the local context,” she said.
As part of improvement efforts, she emphasized three key points: first, strict enforcement of food safety standards. Enforcement can be realized by imposing deterrent sanctions on responsible parties.
“Perhaps SPPG units that violate regulations must be punished so that all parties act with greater caution. This is a major mandate because it carries the face of the president,” she stated.
Second, scientific assistance from universities and cross-sectoral collaboration are needed to examine the impact of the MBG program on children’s health status. This can be implemented by assisting SPPG units in tracking health status, fitness indicators, and children’s anthropometric measurements.
Third, the Free Nutritious Meal policy should be flexible and open to scientific review.
“If there are inputs and scientific evidence indicating the need for improvement, they must be responded to immediately. Otherwise, by 2045, this generation could become a health burden,” Dr. Penggalih concluded.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Radar Jogja