inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) expressed its support for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by conducting food safety supervision at MBG production facilities and testing food products.

"We ensure that people would get the benefits of the program without any other health risks, including poisoning," said BPOM's Director of Community Empowerment and Processed Food Business Actors, Ema Setyawati on Thursday (2/13/2025).

Director Ema said that monitoring food safety in the MBG program was carried out through the implementation of risk mitigation and communication of security risks.

This security is carried out throughout the process of supplying food ingredients, the production process until it reaches the target for consumption.

This is done because the government wants to provide safe nutritious food, not only ensuring optimal nutritional benefits, but also avoiding the potential for greater health risks due to the consumption of contaminated food that does not meet food safety standards.

"Risk mitigation guidelines minimize Extraordinary Food Poisoning Events (KLB-KP) to support the success of the MBG program," said Ema.

BPOM also studies each case of KLB-KP to determine the cause and root cause of the KLB, minimize the potential risk of similar cases recurring in other regions and prepare anticipatory and corrective steps.

According to her, risk studies need to be carried out comprehensively by involving various related cross-sectors and experts with various scientific fields. Therefore, it is necessary to form a panel of experts from various disciplines to support the program activities.

Another effort carried out by BPOM is to conduct kitchen inspections, with the aim of ensuring that the implementation of processed food production methods in implementing units is in accordance with proper procedures.

The latest effort that BPOM will do, she said, is to continue the collaboration program with the Defense University (Unhan) in the formation of Bachelor of Indonesian Development Drivers (SPPI) and implement Bappenas' direction to realize optimal service units.

Meanwhile, SPPI training for wave III will begin in May-July 2025.

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