HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has dismissed 137 heads of nutrition service units, or kitchen managers, following a series of food poisoning incidents linked to the government’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
BGN chief Sudaryono said the agency has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward food poisoning cases, emphasizing that the safety of beneficiaries—including schoolchildren, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers—remains its top priority.
“Food poisoning incidents must never happen again. We have zero tolerance for food poisoning because this concerns lives and the health and safety of our children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers,” Sudaryono said in a video statement, Holopis.com reported, Wednesday (5/8).
According to Sudaryono, the dismissals followed an internal evaluation aimed at strengthening discipline among MBG program operators. In addition to food safety violations, the review also uncovered problems related to governance and administrative compliance.
Of the 137 dismissed kitchen heads, 49 were from West Java, 26 from Lampung, 11 from East Java, 10 from North Sumatra, 10 from Banten, and five from Central Java.
The Central Java dismissals included managers of kitchens in Semarang, where a food poisoning incident at State Vocational High School (SMKN) 6 Semarang recently drew public attention.
Government Tightens Oversight
Sudaryono stressed that sanctions would not be limited to food poisoning cases.
Kitchen managers found to have committed administrative violations or financial misconduct would also face disciplinary action.
“We have zero tolerance for food poisoning, zero tolerance for corruption, and zero tolerance for any form of financial misconduct,” he said.
Alongside the dismissals, BGN is strengthening its monitoring system across the nationwide MBG kitchen network.
Sudaryono said the success of the program cannot rely solely on personal trust but must be supported by a robust oversight system capable of detecting potential violations at an early stage.
“We have developed a mechanism based on the principle that trust is good, but control is better. We cannot rely entirely on individuals—we need a system that ensures everyone can be properly monitored,” he said.
BGN said it expects the stricter disciplinary measures and enhanced oversight to improve the safety, transparency, and public accountability of the national nutrition program while restoring public confidence in the government’s free meal initiative
