By Alif Ilham Fajriadi
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) is intensifying scrutiny over the recent mass food poisoning cases affecting children consuming the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG). According to data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network, the number of child victims of MBG poisoning had reached 6,452 by the end of September 2025.The Head of BPKN, Mufti Mubarok, stated that victims can file a lawsuit against the MBG organizers due to their negligence in maintaining product cleanliness, which led to the mass poisoning incident.He confirmed that BPKN is prepared to facilitate victims who wish to file a class action lawsuit. “The state must not neglect the safety of its people. While social programs must continue, consumer safety remains the top priority,” Mufti said in a statement on Saturday, September 27, 2025.Mufti called on the Ministry of Health, the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), along with local and law enforcement authorities, to participate in evaluating the MBG program to prevent similar incidents in the future. “This program must truly become a safe and proper nutritional solution for the community,” he stressed.Calls for Program Overhaul and Temporary SuspensionMeanwhile, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Niti Emiliana, urged a comprehensive overhaul of the entire system to improve kitchen and food standards within the program. She also requested the government to establish public complaint channels for the MBG program to allow for continuous evaluation and correction.”If necessary, a temporary suspension of this program should be implemented to ensure a complete and comprehensive improvement. If not handled seriously, MBG will become a time bomb for other beneficiaries,” Niti stated in a written statement.Niti asserted that the government is obliged to take responsibility for every poisoning case and loss occurring throughout the program’s operation. This is because the MBG is an ambitious, multi-trillion rupiah initiative of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, intended to meet the nutritional needs of schoolchildren nationwide.”Tighten the standards and ensure the food safety of MBG, which is an absolute right of the beneficiaries,” she said.New Procedures and Criminal PotentialPreviously, the Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik S. Dayang, claimed that new operational procedures for managing the MBG kitchen have been implemented. She stated that the kitchen management and its partners or foundations involved in the program are now required to provide one certified chef and one assisting chef. The requirement for a certified chef, according to Nanik, is intended to minimize previous mass poisoning incidents. “If the chef is certified, they will understand this,” Nanik said during a press conference on the MBG Program Partner Candidate Verification in Cibubur, Bogor, West Java, on Thursday, September 25, 2025.Regarding the mass poisoning case in West Bandung, Nanik mentioned that the kitchen of the Food Service Unit for Nutritional Fulfillment (SPPG) in that area has been closed. The BGN investigative team found that the kitchen did not adhere to the standard operating procedures. She stressed that this case is a serious violation and offered BGN’s apology for the incident.Nanik also stated that mass poisoning cases in various regions that jeopardize children’s health may potentially become criminal cases. “If there are identified criminal elements or intention [it’s possible],” she concluded.Dinda Shabrina contributed to the reportEditor’s Choice: Experts Identify Salmonella and Bacillus Cereus in Free Nutritious Meal Poisoning ProbeClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
