Hundreds of MBG kitchens stopped
Authorities temporarily suspended hundreds of MBG/SPPG kitchens across Java and eastern Indonesia after inspections flagged hygiene and staffing problems. (Local reporting from Republika, Suara Surabaya and TIMES Indonesia gives consistent accounts of the stoppage and BGN’s cited reasons.) (news.republika.co.id) (suarasurabaya.net) (timesindonesia.co.id) Local outlets describe the move as a quality-control measure aimed at food-safety compliance.
Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency said it has suspended 527 meal-service kitchens in Java and eastern Indonesia while they fix food-safety and staffing problems. (bgn.go.id) The agency said 362 suspended units were in Region II, which covers Java, and 165 were in Region III in eastern Indonesia. The April 11 statement said the move was meant to keep the Free Nutritious Meals program operating under food-safety and service standards. (bgn.go.id) Officials listed specific problems from April 6 to April 10: kitchens under renovation, missing nutrition and finance supervisors, poor menu quality, management failures, and suspected digestive illness in places including Cimahi, Bogor, Tasikmalaya, Bantul, Mojokerto, and Sampang. (bgn.go.id) In eastern Indonesia, the agency said many of the suspended kitchens lacked a hygiene-sanitation certificate, known in Indonesia as Sertifikat Laik Higiene Sanitasi, or did not yet have a wastewater treatment system. The same two requirements had already been highlighted by agency officials as mandatory this year. (bgn.go.id) (suarasurabaya.net) These kitchens are the local production points for Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals program, a flagship effort to serve prepared food through Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi, or nutrition fulfillment service units. On April 11, the agency’s public list showed 26,102 units marked operational nationwide. (bgn.go.id 1) (bgn.go.id 2) The suspensions follow months of tighter enforcement. On March 17, agency chief Dadan Hindayana said 62 kitchens had already been temporarily closed during Ramadan because menus did not match budget rules, while other sites were shut for lacking sanitation certification or wastewater systems. (suarasurabaya.net) The agency has also tied some closures to illness cases. After dozens of students in East Jakarta reported stomach pain, diarrhea, and nausea on April 3, the agency said it suspended the Pondok Kelapa kitchen indefinitely because its layout and wastewater installation did not meet standards. (republika.co.id) The agency says suspended kitchens must complete repairs before reopening, and officials have said repeat violations can lead to permanent closure after warnings. For now, the message from Jakarta is that the meal program will keep running, but more kitchens can be stopped if they fail the checks. (bgn.go.id) (suarasurabaya.net)
