Jakarta – The government is further strengthening the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by implementing a strict certification system. This measure is intended to ensure the quality of the food served is truly safe, nutritious, and meets standards, while also preventing a recurrence of extraordinary incidents (KLB) of food poisoning in schools.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin explained that the government requires kitchens or Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) participating in the MBG program to have three main certifications: a Hygiene and Sanitation Certificate (SLHS), a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certificate, and halal certification. According to Budi, these three certifications are the minimum standards that all MBG service providers must meet.
“Now, these three certification processes will be supplemented by an additional recognition from the BPOM. So, the Ministry of Health, BPOM, and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will collaborate to carry out the certification,” said Budi.
Budi added that the government is currently accelerating the certification process to ensure it is faster, of higher quality, and without the burden of expensive licensing fees. He explained that HACCP focuses on the quality of food processing facilities, while SLHS focuses more on the competence of the human resources involved in food preparation.
In addition, oversight is being strengthened. The Ministry of Health, along with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), will conduct routine, weekly external oversight. This measure complements the internal oversight carried out by the National Agency for National Development Planning (BGN).
“The quality of raw materials and water will be strictly monitored daily by the National Food and Drug Administration (BGN). Schools will also be involved in simple monitoring, such as identifying signs of food that is no longer fit for consumption,” Budi emphasized.
The importance of this monitoring, he continued, is inseparable from the large scale of the MBG program, which reaches approximately 450,000 schools under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. “We will involve schools so we can detect early whether food is still suitable or not,” he said.
Similarly, the Chief of Presidential Staff (KSP) Muhammad Qodari emphasized that certification should not be viewed as merely an administrative requirement, but rather an absolute requirement to ensure the safety of children receiving MBG benefits.
“The kitchen or SPPG must have a SLHS from the Ministry of Health as an effort to mitigate and prevent poisoning in the MBG program,” said Qodari.
According to him, the government wants to ensure that every MBG food processing kitchen has high standards in maintaining quality, so that public trust in the program does not fade.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan emphasized that the government will immediately strengthen the legal framework for the MBG program by preparing a Presidential Regulation (Perpres). The regulation is targeted for issuance within a week to strengthen the monitoring and governance system.
“Therefore, there are certainly challenges and shortcomings. But, ladies and gentlemen, the government’s commitment is clear, the response is swift, and the President’s instructions are firm: improve the system and strengthen MBG governance comprehensively,” said Zulkifli.
He emphasized that children’s safety is a top priority. The MBG program, he said, is not just about fulfilling nutritional needs, but also protecting children’s basic rights. “Children’s safety is not about numbers, but it is our top priority. We want our children to be great and intelligent. But at the same time, free nutritious food is a basic right of citizens, and a basic right of our children,” he said.
With strict certification, multi-layered supervision, and strong government commitment, the MBG program is projected to not only improve the nutrition of Indonesian children, but also become an important foundation for a healthier, smarter, and more competitive future generation.
