TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto delivered a firm directive to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and all related parties to improve accuracy and precision in the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal program.
The directive was issued following several reports of suspected food poisoning cases that have occurred in various regions since the program was initiated at the beginning of 2025.
The directive was given by Prabowo in a limited coordination meeting held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java.
The meeting was also attended by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
BGN Head, Dadan Hindayana reiterated the President's statement, saying that Prabowo requested all parties involved in the program to work more systematically, with the aim to prevent further incidents that could endanger the health of program beneficiaries.
"Our target is zero accident. There should be no food poisoning incidents in the field," said Dadan, quoting the President's statement in the official statement from the Presidential Secretariat.
In his explanation, Dadan mentioned that one of the main challenges in the current implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal program is the supervision of food quality and the readiness of infrastructure provided by the providers.
To address these challenges, BGN is currently in the process of formulating and refining standard operating procedures (SOP), especially in the selection of partners and supervision system in the field.
"Therefore, we have gathered here to refine the SOP regarding partner selection and infrastructure provided by them," said Dadan.
To strengthen oversight, BGN has partnered with the University of Defense (Unhan) to train future Heads of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG). So far, 2,000 individuals have completed the program, though six later resigned, leaving 1,994 currently available personnel.
Dadan noted that the training initiative will continue, aiming to educate up to 30,000 SPPG heads in the next phase, which is expected to conclude by the end of July 2025.
On funding, Dadan said the budget matter has been politically resolved, as confirmed by the President, though he did not disclose specific figures.
In terms of infrastructure, Dadan stressed the importance of expanding SPPG facilities to ensure consistent and accurate program delivery. To achieve this, BGN plans to broaden collaborations with various stakeholders.
Since the launch of the Free Nutritious Meal program, several regions have reported suspected food poisoning cases. The following areas have recorded such incidents:
1. Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi
The incident took place on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at SDN 33 Kasipute, where several students began vomiting after detecting a strong, unpleasant odor from the free meal package, which included rice, chicken karaage, fried tofu, and vegetable soup.
According to the school principal, the foul smell appeared to come from the chicken, which was suspected to be spoiled. Local police reported that 53 out of 1,026 meal packages were found to be in substandard condition.
2. Cianjur Regency, West Java
On Monday, April 21, 2025, a mass food poisoning case involving 78 students from MAN 1 and SMP PGRI 1 Cianjur was reported.
The incident was then declared an Extraordinary Incident (KLB) by the local government, after a total of 176 residents were reported to experience similar symptoms. This event occurred after consuming food provided at a community event.
3. East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara
A total of 29 students from Katolik Andaluri Elementary School were reported to experience food poisoning symptoms such as nausea and vomiting after consuming food from the Free Nutritious Meal program on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The students were then referred to local health facilities for medical treatment.
Annisa Febiola and Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the writing of this article.
Editor's Choice: Bill Gates Impressed with Free Nutritious Meal Program, Claims Head of National Nutrition Body
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
