Bandung – The government continues to strengthen the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program by emphasizing the importance of involving nutritionists at every stage of meal provision for students and vulnerable groups. This step is considered crucial to ensuring that the menus served are not only filling but also meet balanced nutritional standards for the needs of the Indonesian people.
Nutritionist from the SPPG Pangauban Batujajar Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit, Fenni Yuliani, said that the Critical Control Point (CCP) or critical control point in the MBG program is an important stage in food processing that must be controlled.
“It is very important to prevent, eliminate, or reduce food safety hazards to an acceptable level,” said Fenni.
Fenni emphasized that implementing this system is very important for the MBG kitchen to ensure that the food distributed is safe, nutritious, and hygienic for recipients, especially children.
“It’s crucial for nutritionists to ensure the menu is of high quality and that food safety is maintained. Most importantly, the CCP must be maintained,” Fenni emphasized.
“From preparation and processing to distribution, we must ensure that the raw materials are safe and clean, and that no bacteria enter the ingredients or the food,” Fenni added.
For the portioning section, for example, Fenni said that his party must ensure that the stages or processes run smoothly.
Moreover, the number of beneficiaries of the MBG menu from SPPG Pangauban Batujajar reaches 4,000 portions every day with the processing of ingredients starting at 02.00 WIB in the morning.
“We also have to ensure that the distribution of the MBG menu is not late, because our kitchen must deliver MBG at the latest at 07.00 – 08.00 WIB,” explained Fenni.
“Our kitchen distribution starts with preschool and kindergarten children, while for elementary and middle school students, we adjust to break times,” Fenni continued.
Fenni said that all stages in processing ingredients for the MBG menu, from start to finish, are the most important.
“At the beginning, we have to ensure the raw materials are safe by sorting, selecting, and selecting which are suitable and which are not. This is also the responsibility of a nutritionist, even if it’s just one person in the kitchen,” said Fenni.
“So, once the nutritionist has confirmed the suitability of the raw materials, they can be handed over to the food processing team,” Fenni added.
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, ensured that every Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) or public kitchen for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program must be accompanied by a nutritionist.
Dadan reminded that the three main pillars that every MBG public kitchen must have are a head of SPPG, a nutritionist, and an accountant.
“The three main pillars of a nutritious meal program must include one SPPG (head of the SPPG), two nutritionists, and three accountants. This is non-negotiable; the SPPG cannot function without these three pillars,” Dadan explained.
By strengthening these nutritional elements, the MBG program is expected to have a significant impact on improving the quality of human resources, as well as becoming an important foundation towards achieving Golden Indonesia 2045.
