RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto expressed pride in the food safety standards of the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, which has produced around 4.5 billion meal portions for beneficiaries to date.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for 1,179 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in Jakarta on Friday, February 13, 2026, the President said the food safety testing technology used in the program was capable of competing globally.

“I saw the tools used, pioneered by the National Police. There are water filters, ultraviolet light to kill bacteria on food trays. There are food security tests and food safety tests produced domestically that are not inferior to global standards,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

President Prabowo said food production forms the foundation of civilization and constitutes a daily necessity that determines the survival of society.

He highlighted the use of what he described as advanced yet affordable food processing technology, including water filtration systems, ultraviolet sterilization for dining equipment, and domestically produced food safety testing devices.

He said the MBG program has produced around 4.5 billion meal portions so far. Of that number, he received reports that around 28,000 beneficiaries experienced health problems such as stomach aches suspected to be caused by food poisoning.

Statistically, he said, the figure represented around 0.0006 percent of total production, or a 99.999 percent success rate. “What does that mean? It means 99.999 percent succeeded. Where is there a human endeavor that achieves 100 percent? It exists, but it is not easy to achieve,” he said.

President Prabowo added that based on a report he received two days earlier, which still requires verification, Indonesia’s food safety performance in the MBG program was assessed to be better than that of several countries in Europe and Japan.

Despite the reported figures, he reminded his administration not to become complacent and to continue ensuring the safety of MBG meals delivered to beneficiaries.

“Let us not be arrogant. Arrogance is the beginning of destruction. Remember that. The more full the grain of rice, the more it bows. That is the wisdom of our ancestors,” he said. ***