Navy chief-of-staff Admiral Muhammad Ali (fourth right) inspects a caterer for the free nutritious meals programme at the Navy Command and Staff School (Seskoal) in Cipulir, South Jakarta on Jan. 14, 2025. The Seskoal caterer distributes up to 4,000 portions of packaged meal to eight schools across Cipulir under the government's free meal programme. - Photo: Antara
JAKARTA: The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) have agreed to join forces to ensure the safety of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meals programme.
The collaboration, which was preceded by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by BPOM head Taruna Ikrar and BGN head Dadan Hindayana on Thursday (Jan 23), will include overseeing both food production and the quality of human resources involved in implementing the programme.
The partnership comes in response to several reported cases of food poisoning linked to the free, meal programme, which have sparked public concern and calls for stricter food safety controls.
The BPOM said in a statement that supervision is crucial to maintaining the quality of the meals, as the programme is aimed at addressing malnutrition and stunting which affects 21.5 per cent of children across the nation.
Additionally, as the production and distribution processes involve many parties and require careful coordination, training for the staff involved is also considered vital.
Dadan explained on Monday (Jan 27) that the BGN will be in charge of monitoring the calorie count according to children’s developmental stages and national nutritional composition standards.
Meanwhile, the BPOM is responsible for overseeing hygiene and food safety in production and distribution.
The entire process of food preparation and delivery will be closely monitored and controlled, including the hygiene of the kitchens and equipment used.
“We supervise everything, from the cleanliness of the floor, clothing and cooking utensils used by [the staff], to the provided eating utensils, ensuring they are free from hazardous substances and chemical residues, [we will also ensure] safe delivery by using sturdy equipment to prevent contamination,” he explained to The Jakarta Post.
Dadan further claimed that standard operating procedures have already been applied since the programme’s launch earlier this month across over 26 provinces, “and all partners involved in the programme must meet these requirements.”
The MoU serves as the foundation for developing guidelines to ensure food safety.
The BGN outlined some key aspects of the supervision process, starting from food production, which focuses on hygiene and nutritional content.
In addition, the collaboration will also implement mitigation measures for risks such as food poisoning through implementing so-called detoxification procedures.
“The supervision will be in accordance with the MoU,” BPOM public relations coordinator Eka Rosmalasari confirmed on Monday.
The agency will ensure the programme's hygiene and safety with Technical Implementation Units (UPT) in each region tasked with overseeing food safety across the supply chain, from production to distribution to the public.
The agreement also highlights efforts to enhance the capacity of human resources involved in providing nutritious food.
Training will be conducted for thousands of core supervisory staff in every regency and city across Indonesia.
Nutritionist Tan Shot Yen emphasized the importance of applying Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) to standardize food quality.
The process begins with selecting fresh and safe ingredients, followed by proper storage to maintain quality.
Food preparation and packaging are also crucial, ensuring the risks of contamination from other ingredients or plastic packaging are avoided.
Distribution officers must ensure the food is fully cooked and consumed within two hours of preparation.
Allowing the food to sit for too long can result in a decrease in temperature, which may lead to spoilage.
“After two hours, the food temperature will be between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius, a critical temperature for bacteria and fungi to grow,” Tan said.
Several cases of food poisoning have been reported since the beginning of the new semester and the start of the free meal programme on Jan 6.
In Sukoharjo, Central Java, 40 students from SD Dukuh 03 state elementary school fell ill after consuming improperly cooked chicken provided by a caterer.
In Nunukan, North Kalimantan, dozens of students and teachers also reported experiencing diarrhea after consuming the prepared meals, as reported previously by the Post.
The collaboration marks a significant step in supporting the free nutritious meals programme, which aims to benefit up to 17 million recipients across Indonesia by the end of 2025 and approximately 82 million by the end of Prabowo’s administration in 2029. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
