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View all search resultsBPOM yet to test free meals over budget limits
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Free meal beneficiaries: Children receive free nutritious meals on April 7 in Slipi, West Jakarta. The government has spent Rp 44 trillion (US$2.57 billion) on the program, reaching 61.62 million beneficiaries as of March 9 out of a total allocated budget of Rp 335 trillion for the program this year. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
T
he Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) admitted that it has yet to test food samples from the government’s free nutritious meal program, despite a growing number of reported food poisoning cases nationwide, citing budget constraints.
During a recent hearing with BPOM, members of the House of Representatives’ Commission IX overseeing health raised concerns over the program’s implementation, saying it has been carried out without proper planning and management.
“According to our records, there have been over 33,000 total cases [of food poisoning linked to the free meals program] as of today. In April alone, new cases were reported almost every day,” Commission IX deputy chair Charles Honoris said during the Monday meeting.
He further questioned whether the agency had conducted kitchen inspections to see whether the foods served are safe or edible.
Commission member Irma Suryani Chaniago also highlighted that many kitchens have yet to prove their cleanliness, urging stronger coordination between BPOM and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the program, “to reduce the risk of food poisoning.”
Read also: Free meal program faces hurdles on food safety, funds management
Out of nearly 27,000 kitchens operating nationwide, around 1,780 have yet to meet basic hygiene requirements, such as having wastewater treatment installations (IPAL) and hygiene sanitation eligibility certificates (SLHS), BGN said this week, ensuring that the facilities have been temporarily suspended.
