Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has permanently shut down four Nutrition Services Units (SPPG) or kitchens under the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program due to operational misconduct and failure to meet food safety standards.
Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, BGN Deputy for Monitoring and Oversight Ketut Sumedana said that the four permanently closed kitchens include the Karo Berastagi Sempajaya SPPG in Karo District, North Sumatra.
Meanwhile, the other three are the Blora Tunjungan Sukorejo 2 SPPG in Blora District, Central Java; the Bantul Jetis Patalan 2 SPPG in Bantul District, Yogyakarta; and the Jayapura Depapre Waiya SPPG in Jayapura District, Papua.
A total of 10,112 beneficiaries previously served by the four units will be transferred to the nearest SPPGs that hold Hygiene and Sanitation Certificates (SLHS) and have sufficient capacity, ensuring they continue to receive the MBG program.
Ketut emphasized that permanent closure was enforced after corrective measures failed to produce satisfactory results within the specified deadline.
“Permanent closure is a final measure we take when the SPPG shows a lack of good faith in making adequate improvements within the specified time frame, particularly regarding incidents with severe impacts on beneficiaries,” he said.
He stressed that the health and safety of beneficiaries are BGN’s top priorities and that the agency will not compromise on food safety standards.
Permanent closure can be enforced if an SPPG experiences food safety incidents more than once, faces temporary operational suspensions more than twice, fails to demonstrate fundamental improvements to its food safety system, or fails to obtain clearance from relevant authorities.
Ketut underscored that food safety is crucial to ensuring smooth operations and restoring public trust in the free meal program.
“We are ensuring that no beneficiary loses their right to the MBG program as a result of these permanent closures. BGN will guarantee a smooth transition while continuing to enhance supervision to prevent similar incidents,” he said.
Targeting millions of beneficiaries nationwide, the MBG program was launched in early 2025 as a key program of the Prabowo Subianto administration to improve the nutritional status of toddlers, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and school-age children.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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