IDAI Highlights Food Safety in Free Child Nutrition Program

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Children, especially those under five, are more vulnerable to the serious impacts of food poisoning. For this reason, strict food safety standards are crucial in implementing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

Chairman of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, said efforts to meet children’s nutritional needs through MBG must be accompanied by guarantees that the food provided is safe to consume.

“Food safety standards are very strict and non‑negotiable,” Piprim said in Jakarta on Friday, September 11, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

His remarks came in response to repeated poisoning incidents linked to the MBG program. According to Piprim, these incidents should not be viewed merely as statistics, as they affect children’s health and distress parents.

He stressed that the goal of providing nutritious meals must go hand in hand with food safety controls at every stage of preparation.

Piprim also proposed a comprehensive review and evaluation of the MBG concept. One option, he said, is cooking and serving meals in school cafeterias.

According to him, preparing food in school cafeterias allows meals to be served warmer and fresher. Serving patterns can also be adjusted to children’s preferences -- for example, through a buffet system -- making food more appealing and more likely to be consumed.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Damayanti Rusli from the Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Coordination Unit (UKK) at IDAI explained that food poisoning risks can arise from both food and its handling.

She said food‑based hazards may stem from various contaminants, including bacteria, fungi, worms, pesticides, and exposure to other chemical and physical hazards.

“The second source is the person themselves. They are the ones causing the hazard. So it could come from the food or from their behavior in preparing it,” she said.

Damayanti cited several practices that increase contamination risks, including mixing raw and cooked food, storing food at improper temperatures, and washing ingredients inadequately.

Referring to 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) data, she said one in 10 people experiences food poisoning, and in certain circumstances, it can lead to death.

According to Damayanti, groups most susceptible to food poisoning include the elderly, children under five, and people with weakened immune systems.

“So who is highly susceptible to poisoning? First, the elderly, then children under five. When MBG reaches Category 3B (pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers), the risk becomes even greater. Then there are those with weakened immune systems,” she said.

Therefore, IDAI believes food safety must be a crucial part of evaluating MBG implementation to ensure the program--intended to improve children’s nutritional intake--does not pose health risks to its beneficiaries. ***