NasDem Legislator Asks MBG To Also Consider Feelings: Don't Spread Nutritious Foods Then It Doesn't Feel Like It

NasDem Party Politician Irma Suryani/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the NasDem faction, Irma Suryani Chaniago, highlighted the issue of Free Nutrition Food (MBG) which has been officially launched since January 6, 2025.

Irma agrees that there are still many things that must be evaluated in the free nutritious eating program, one of which must also consider taste.

"Eating nutritious food is the average hospital food, the food that is weighed, how much rice, how much vegetable is the size of the side dish. However, I also conveyed it to the National Nutrition Agency, 'yes, you can't do that too. Don't think of nutritious food, don't think it's nutritious, don't feel like it'," Irma told reporters, Thursday, January 16.

If the feeling is not considered, continued Irma, then the children do not want to eat. Because according to him, that feeling remains a necessity.

Apart from taste, Irma also assessed that the variety of menus needs to be considered. Although the free nutritious eating program cannot satisfy all children, he said, every child must have different tastes.

There are children who don't like tempeh but they like to know, when they are prepared they don't want to eat, but there are others who like it. Some like chicken but like fish, in South Sumatra, people prefer fish to chickens on average. That's the case, it should be a concern," said the NasDem legislator for the South Sumatra electoral district.

Irma emphasized that eating nutritious free is not just eating full. On the other hand, the problem of MBG has not been clearly explained to the public.

"Eating full and eating nutritious is different, now this has not been conveyed to the public. In addition, many people are fried this program into unclear ones," said Irma.