December 24, 2025 | 04:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) reported the latest data on poisoning cases linked to the free nutritious meals (MBG) distribution throughout Indonesia. As of December 23, 2025, National Coordinator of JPPI Ubaid Matraji said over 20,000 cases of food poisoning have been recorded.
"As of today, there are 20,012 data recorded in JPPI. Those are the ones reported to us," Ubaid said on Tuesday in Jakarta, adding that the unreported cases were "certainly much bigger" than that.
Ubaid expressed surprise that despite the substantial number, there has been no improvement in management or good faith from the government to halt the program. "Our team found two suspected fatalities linked to MBG. This was the result of our monitoring team in Kuningan and Cihampelas," Ubaid said.
Parents are also concerned about the free nutritious meal distribution during school holidays, which per reports to JPPI, are handed over once a week. The parents, he said, are worried about the ultra-processed food that makes up the holiday menu.
"Despite repeated warnings from nutritionists, the food is still ultra-processed. As parents, this doesn't seem to be much of a nutritional program," said Ubaid.
He also questioned why the government did not listen to various complaints from parents and the public regarding the free nutritious meal program.
Previously, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for Public Communication and Investigation, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, ensured that children are not forced to come to school to pick up free nutritious meals (MBG) during the holidays. The state-sanctioned free meals will resume during the school break, but the primary beneficiaries will be pregnant people, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
"No one is forcing children on holiday to come to school to pick up MBG. If the school or parents do not want to accept it, that's fine also," Nanik said in an official statement on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
During the school holiday period, public kitchens will provide options for beneficiary schools to request free nutritious meals if needed. The meals, she said, will be delivered in the form of dry food upon request, and students don't have to come collect it at school. "The parents or siblings can do so," she added.
Read: Indonesia's BGN: Students Posting Free Meal Complaints Online Reflects Lack of Gratitude
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