RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy is supporting the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program by improving the skills of cooks involved in meal preparation.

Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya said the ministry is currently conducting training programs for cooks participating in the initiative in several regions.

“We are currently conducting a support program for cooks involved in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. We are providing training and bringing master chefs from Jakarta to districts,” he stated to the reporters following a dialogue with Radio Republik Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

He explained that the training focuses on improving cooking techniques while utilizing local ingredients and spices to create more diverse menus.

“We train the cooks at the Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) centers on how to use local spices and local ingredients, while making the meals more varied, more hygienic, and so on,” he said.

The ministry has previously introduced several culinary capacity-building initiatives, including the Cooking with Master Chefs (MASAMO) program, which aims to strengthen the skills of cooks, raise professional standards, and improve service quality involved in the Free Nutritious Meal program by providing direct mentoring from professional chefs.

Through such initiatives, the government hopes to improve the quality of meals provided in the program while also encouraging the use of local ingredients and supporting Indonesia’s culinary sector as part of the creative economy.