Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Neng Eem Marhamah Zulfa, urged the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) to tighten the standards of hygiene and safety of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program, following the discovery of rotten food in Lampung and the mass poisoning incident in Mojokerto, East Java.
"We are very concerned when children are actually affected by poisoning or receive unsuitable food. This incident is a serious alarm that the management and supervision of MBG must be thoroughly improved," said Neng Eem in Jakarta, Saturday, January 17.
"The aspects of hygiene and food safety are the price of death in this flagship program of President Prabowo," he continued.
Neng Eem also highlighted the weather factor during the rainy season which accelerates the process of rotting food. He asked SPPG not to work with the normal mechanism, but to adjust the standard operating procedures (SOP) to weather conditions.
"The risk of contamination can occur at every stage, from the selection of raw materials, processing in the kitchen, storage, to the distribution process to schools," he said.
To prevent similar incidents, the PKB legislator from the West Java District emphasized four crucial steps that must be immediately taken by the government. First, there must be strict inspections to ensure the quality and freshness of food before entering the processing process.
Second, there must be storage standards where the temperature and distribution settings must be appropriate so that food remains fresh. Third, facilities must be hygienic where the standards of kitchen hygiene, cooking equipment, and access to clean water must not be negotiable.
"Finally, SPPG officers must continue to upgrade their capacity because they are the ones who determine the quality of MBG," he explained.
Neng Eem warned that if this case continues to occur, the negative impact is not only threatening children's health, but also damaging public confidence in the MBG program.
"If public confidence decreases, the main goal of this program to improve children's nutrition will be disrupted. Commission IX will continue to monitor so that this program runs safely and hygienically," he concluded.
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