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BPOM insists free meals safe to take home during Ramadan
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A student sits at her desk with a tray of food distributed through the government's free nutritious meal program on Jan. 15, 2025, at SD 1 Gagaksipat state elementary school in Boyolali, Central Java. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
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he Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has vowed to ensure that food packages disbursed under the free nutritious meal program are safe to be taken home, as authorities prepare for a different system for the initiative during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
With most students fasting from dawn to sunset, it is expected that they will take their meal packages home from school, something that the BPOM has accounted for, according to agency head Taruna Ikrar.
He highlighted that each food ingredient has a specific shelf life and could spoil when mixed due to microbial contamination and preparation activities. Authorities will prevent the food from spoiling quickly by packing items in separate packages.
“For example, if students take their meals home, vegetables should not be mixed with rice or other ingredients,” Taruna said on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
“Each ingredient should be packed separately, possibly in special containers, to maintain their freshness.”
He added that the agency would work with scholars who joined the National Nutrition Agency’s (BGN) development pioneer scholars (SPPI) as well as the kitchens supplying the food, officially called Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), to make sure the food preparation adheres to food safety standards.
Read also: Free meals will continue with adjusted menus during Ramadan, govt says
