Indonesian Government Ensures Optimal Handling of Alleged Free Meal Poisoning Case in Kupang
By: Reza Mahendra Siregar
The mass poisoning case involving students receiving the free nutritious meal (MBG) program in Kupang prompted a swift and decisive response from the government. In response, President Prabowo Subianto immediately ordered the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to conduct a thorough evaluation and take firm action against the MBG service stations in the area. For the Head of State, the continuation of the safe and hygienic MBG program is an absolute must and is absolutely non-negotiable.
The President believes that the poisoning problem in Kupang is not solely due to food factors, but also to students’ lack of hygiene before eating.
During a visit to schools, President Prabowo found several students eating without using spoons. He suspects that this habit has the potential to pose various health risks, especially if the students in question have not washed their hands properly before eating.
According to the Head of State, simple habits such as using a spoon and ensuring hands are clean before eating must be instilled from an early age so that the implementation of MBG truly provides nutritional benefits without health risks.
The President also highlighted the possibility of students experiencing adjustments when first consuming certain foods, such as milk. He emphasized that some students may need time to adapt to daily milk intake.
Nevertheless, the President confirmed that the number of poisoning cases due to MBG remains very small compared to the number of beneficiaries of the program. Of the approximately three million students receiving MBG, poisoning cases have been recorded at under 200, or 0.005 percent. The President believes the success rate of MBG implementation has reached 99.9 percent and this must be maintained with a target of zero errors in the field.
Meanwhile, the Head of the National Food and Drug Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that his agency immediately stopped the distribution of MBG at SMPN 8 Kupang after the poisoning incident. Dadan emphasized that this measure was taken while awaiting the results of laboratory tests on food samples by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).
He explained that hundreds of students consumed MBG on Monday and only experienced symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, on Tuesday morning. According to him, the MBG distribution at the school on Tuesday had not yet been distributed when students began complaining of symptoms of poisoning.
The National Nusa Tenggara Program (BGN), along with the Kupang City Police and the Health Office, are working directly to investigate the cause of the poisoning. The police will also inspect the kitchen providing the MBG as part of the investigation.
Dadan explained that to improve the quality of MBG services, his office is currently designing a hygienic and sanitation certification for all Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in Indonesia.
BGN is collaborating with the National Accreditation Committee (KAN) to ensure safe and hygienic nutrition service standards. The certification is expected to be implemented in June or July. With strict certification and accreditation, each SPPG can be assessed for its suitability and even given an accreditation rating of superior, very good, or only good.
In addition to the central government, the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government is also acting swiftly. East Nusa Tenggara Governor Melki Laka Lena emphasized that a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of the MBG (National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency) is a priority agenda for the provincial government, along with the district and city governments.
He emphasized that the problem of mass poisoning lies not in the concept of the MBG program, but rather in suboptimal governance at the implementation level. He stated that if all parties implement the MBG according to the standards and directives of the National Agency of National Development Planning (BGN) and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the risk of poisoning can be avoided.
Governor Melki also emphasized the importance of accelerating the development of MBG kitchens throughout NTT. NTT currently has a quota of 800 MBG kitchens, with a minimum target of 600.
The Governor encouraged accelerated development to expand the coverage of MBG services and provide access to nutritious food for more students, toddlers, and early childhood education (PAUD) children in the region.
He believes that the MBG not only fulfills the nutritional needs of the younger generation but also stimulates local economic growth by creating jobs in the food procurement, processing, and distribution sectors.
The Governor requested that all regional heads in NTT remove all technical and administrative obstacles to the implementation of the MBG. He stated that there should be no excuses to hinder the implementation of the MBG program in the field.
