Indonesia Reports Drop in Food Poisoning Cases from MBG Program

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said reported cases of food poisoning linked to the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program have declined in recent months, citing improvements in food safety procedures. Speaking during a hearing with House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Dadan said the number of incidents peaked in October last year before steadily falling. “The highest number of cases was recorded in October, with 85 incidents. This fell to 40 cases in November,” he told lawmakers at the DPR complex in Jakarta. According to Dadan, the downward trend continued toward the end of the year. “In December, the number dropped to 12 cases, and in January it declined further to 10,” he said. Despite the progress, he acknowledged that violations of standard operating procedures (SOPs) still occur. “Our goal is zero incidents, but there are still lapses in compliance with SOPs,” he added. Dadan said the reduction in food poisoning cases coincided with a sharp increase in the number of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units, known by their Indonesian acronym SPPG, which are responsible for preparing and distributing meals under the MBG program. He noted that there are currently 6,150 SPPGs that have been certified as meeting hygiene standards, accounting for around 32 percent of all units involved in the program. “This figure will continue to be optimized through the implementation of an accreditation policy,” Dadan said, adding that the decline in incidents reflects “significant improvements in the application of food safety SOPs.” Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto had claimed the MBG program achieved a 99 percent success rate, based on internal evaluations. The president made the statement during a speech at a Red and White Cabinet retreat in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java. Prabowo acknowledged that shortcomings and potential deviations had occurred during implementation but said they were being addressed. “Even with 0.00-something deficiencies, these are issues that must be resolved, and fortunately we have overcome them and continue to address them,” he was quoted as saying by the Cabinet Secretariat’s website on Tuesday. However, Prabowo’s assessment has drawn criticism from civil society groups. Galau D. Muhammad, a member of MBG Watch, questioned the president’s claim, arguing that it does not reflect conditions on the ground. He cited what he described as persistent problems, including disorganized and non-transparent governance, as well as a large number of food poisoning cases. Data compiled by the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) show that during the first year of the MBG program’s implementation, more than 20,000 people were affected by food poisoning incidents. “What has been communicated is merely the glorification of success, without any transparent explanation of the indicators used to label this project effective,” Galau said. Read:Prabowo to Ink Fishing Vessel Construction Deal in UK Visit