The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) plans to establish a specialized unit for the Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) and carry out certification processes. This plan follows various public reports and criticisms regarding raw food menus uploaded by parents of beneficiaries during the last Ramadan. The public expects that meals provided under the free nutritious meal program should be served ready to eat and under hygienic conditions to prevent widespread cases of food poisoning.
Professor Sri Raharjo, Professor of Food Technology at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FTP UGM), emphasized that the certification body to be established must be independent and demonstrate proven competence. Professor Sri expressed regret that the certification initiative was only taken after a series of complaints and food poisoning cases had emerged.
“With this delay in the audit process, the readiness of the MBG program still needs to be thoroughly reviewed,” said Professor Sri on Wednesday (Apr. 1).
According to Professor Sri, the certification stages should have been integral to the procedures in the planning phase for establishing the service units. “Ideally, this should have been in place long before the SPPG officially began operations,” he said.
For Professor Sri, a competent monitoring unit is essential in assessing the operational feasibility of SPPG. However, BGN’s initiative to form its own monitoring unit may create conflicts of interest, which could ultimately call into question the program’s effectiveness.
“This is precisely why the independence of the monitoring unit or certification body for SPPG is non-negotiable. If there is to be a classification of SPPG feasibility, BGN cannot establish its own unit. The certification body must come from a third party that is not affiliated with any interests,” he explained.
According to Professor Sri, an ideal certification body should not be affiliated with any interests. Instead, it must consist of auditors who have undergone standardized training programs, possess knowledge relevant to the assessed aspects, and have passed competency tests. The food technology expert added that an incompetent monitoring unit or certification body could lead to budget inefficiencies and potential new problems.
“Food provision does not end with the roles of a manager, accountant, and nutritionist in each SPPG unit, as they focus only on their respective responsibilities, while the rest concern operations. An unprepared system will result in inadequate certification outcomes and slow down operations,” he said.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Antara