The Rise Of Toxic Students, DPR Surprised MBG Organizers Chasing The Number Of Kitchens Instead Of Menu Quality

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives, Edy Wuryanto, responded to the rampant incidence of beneficiaries of Free Nutrition Food (MBG) who experienced symptoms of poisoning in various regions recently. He also criticized the weak supervision and quality control carried out by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) towards the implementation level of MBG.

"I express my concern over this incident. And the fact that there are beneficiaries of MBG who experience symptoms of poisoning, shows weak quality control," Edy told reporters, Friday, September 19.

According to Edy, BGN is too focused on increasing the quantity of kitchens providing food or Nutrition Food Supply Centers (SPPG), regardless of quality and food safety aspects. In fact, many MBG kitchens were found to stall in the field.

Eddy also highlighted the low absorption of BGN's budget, which has only reached 18.6 percent of the total Rp 71 trillion. According to him, in order to pursue the absorption target, BGN accelerates the construction of a kitchen that risks ignoring security standards.

What is being pursued now is the number of kitchens, not quality. Kitchen quantities are targets, while quality standards and safety are ignored. As a result, some of the kitchens were built as long as they finished, some had not met the standards," said Edy.

Edy also revealed that most of the construction of the MBG kitchen was handed over to community foundations that did not yet have sufficient capacity and capital to build facilities according to the provisions. Therefore, he encouraged the government to provide access to loans for foundations so that they could build SPPG according to standards.

"Repairing from upstream is important because building this SPPG is not just building buildings. With the hope that it can reduce the presence of contamination that is included in the food," he said.

Edy then suggested that BGN not be the only institution that assesses the feasibility of the SPPG. He emphasized the importance of accreditation or verification from independent institutions to ensure compliance with food quality and safety standards.

"Don't easily allow SPPGs that are not according to standards to operate so that beneficiaries are not harmed," he concluded.

As is known, hundreds of students in Garut Regency, West Java, experienced symptoms of poisoning after eating Free Nutrition Food (MBG) from the same Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) on Tuesday, September 16. New symptoms emerged and were felt by them on Wednesday, September 17.

Of the hundreds of students, 30 of them had to undergo hospitalization because their condition was quite alarming. Based on the latest data from the Garut District Health Office, students suspected of having been poisoned after eating MBG, now there are 569.

The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) noted that until mid-September 2025, no less than 5,360 children had been poisoned due to the MBG program.