RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Health is stepping up efforts to protect children from the growing influence of unhealthy food marketing by strengthening health literacy and promoting healthier eating habits through schools and communities. The initiative comes as children are increasingly exposed to food advertising across television, social media, online games, and digital platforms.

On The Insight program commemorating Indonesia's National Children's Day broadcast on Thursday, July 23, 2026, titled “Kids Deserve Better: Rethinking Food Marketing to Children”, Head of the Health Literacy in Educational Institutions Team at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Nur Fatayani, said Indonesia faces the same challenge highlighted by global research, with increasingly aggressive food marketing shaping children's food preferences.

According to Fatayani, protecting children's health requires shared responsibility among the government, schools, families, and communities. The Ministry has introduced several policies, including the recently launched Nutri-Level nutrition labeling initiative, to help consumers make healthier food and beverage choices more easily.

Beyond nutrition labeling, the Ministry is strengthening its School Health Program by integrating health education into the curriculum, expanding school health services, and encouraging collaboration between schools and community health centers (Puskesmas). Through the program, students receive free health check-ups and nutrition education to help them choose healthier snacks.

Fatayani acknowledged that monitoring food sold by vendors around schools remains a challenge due to their rapid growth and informal nature. Instead of focusing solely on regulating vendors, the Ministry prioritizes improving children's health literacy so they can make informed food choices independently.

She explained that the Nutri-Level initiative is designed to present nutrition information in a simple, color-coded format, making it easier for consumers to understand the health impact of products. While the policy currently focuses on ready-to-drink beverages, the government aims to expand it to other food products in the future.

However, she emphasized that providing nutrition information alone is not enough to change eating behavior. People's food choices are also influenced by affordability, product availability, personal preferences, and extensive food marketing, making health promotion equally important alongside labeling policies.

To reach more people, the Ministry of Health is also expanding health promotion through primary healthcare facilities, integrated health services posts (Posyandu), and digital platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. The goal is to help Indonesians understand and apply nutrition information in their daily lives while adapting health education to today's digital environment.

Although the Nutri-Level policy is still in its early stages, Fatayani expressed optimism that it will encourage food and beverage companies to provide clearer nutrition information and support healthier consumer choices. She added that successful implementation will depend on close collaboration between the government, private sector, and other stakeholders.