Jakarta – The National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) of the Republic of Indonesia supports the National Nutrition Agency (BGN)’s comprehensive evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program during Ramadan 2026.
This evaluation includes improvements to food packaging, adjustments to nutritional composition, enhancements to distribution systems, and strengthening budget transparency. This is crucial to ensure that the national nutrition program continues to operate in accordance with health standards and consumer protection principles.
The Head of BPKN, Mufti Mubarok, said the MBG Program is a strategic policy that directly touches on the basic rights of the community, especially children, pregnant women, and vulnerable groups.
“This evaluation is an important corrective step to ensure that the MBG Program truly guarantees safe, nutritious, and consumable food for its beneficiaries,” Mufti said in Jakarta.
During Ramadan, BGN adjusted its distribution pattern by providing take-home food packages to be consumed at iftar. This adjustment was made to ensure nutritional intake remains adequate despite changing consumption patterns.
“Packaging quality has also been strengthened to ensure food safety during shipping and storage. Menu composition has also been evaluated to ensure it meets national nutritional standards,” he said.
BPKN revealed that the success of the MBG Program is not only measured by the number of beneficiaries, but also by the quality of services and budget management.
“The MBG program must be managed transparently and accountably. Consumers’ rights to clear information, product safety, and food quality must be protected,” Mufti added.
BPKN also encourages BGN to continue involving stakeholders, including the community, schools, and supervisory institutions, in the program evaluation and improvement process.
“Periodic evaluation is crucial to ensure that the MBG Program is not only running administratively, but is actually providing tangible benefits to the health and well-being of the community. Therefore, a BGN supervisory body or some kind of supervisory board is needed,” Mufti said.
According to him, commitment to nutritional standards, food safety, and budget transparency will strengthen public trust in the MBG Program as part of the national nutrition fulfillment policy.
“Consistent monitoring is crucial to ensure continuous improvement in program implementation,” he concluded.
The evaluation conducted by BGN covers aspects of food packaging, nutritional composition, and transparency of budget use, to ensure the MBG Program is running according to health standards and is on target.
With this evaluation of the 2026 Ramadan MBG, the government is seen as demonstrating its commitment to improving the quality of public services while strengthening consumer protection systems in the food sector.