TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said that the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) will be responsible for students who experience poisoning after consuming free nutritious meals (MBG).

Dadan stated that the head of SPPG will cover the medical expenses if any student is poisoned.

"Later (the child poisoned by MBG) will have the medical expenses covered by the head of the service unit," said Dadan at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, on Friday, February 28, 2025.

Dadan explained that each SPPG has a budget for raw materials and operational costs. The operational budget will be used to fund students who are sick. "So it is an additional cost to deal with such matters," he said.

According to Dadan, the recent cases of poisoning in various areas will be thoroughly evaluated.

He stated that cases of food being undercooked mostly occur in newly established SPPGs. In fact, the National Nutrition Agency has standard operational procedures so that new SPPGs do not immediately prepare large portions of food. BGN will request SPPGs to prepare food gradually.

"For example, the target is 3,000. On the first day, it can start from 150, then increase to 500, then 1,000, then 1,500. Because honestly, things like this require habituation," he said.

The Free Nutritious Meals program has once again caused poisoning after previously occurring in mid-January. This time, it happened within two consecutive days, namely in Empat Lawang Regency, South Sumatra, and in East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

In Empat Lawang, eight students from Tebing Tinggi Elementary School (SDN) experienced stomachaches after consuming the third batch of MBG meals launched on Monday, February 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, food poisoning from MBG in East Sumba occurred on Tuesday, February 18, 202, causing 29 students of Andaluri Catholic Elementary School to be taken to the Community Health Center.

Yuni Rohmawati and Antara contributed to the writing of this article.

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