BGN Halts Nutrition Service in East Nusa Tenggara: What Happened?

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has decided to temporarily halt the operations of its Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after discovering substandard food in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program. Redy Hendra Gunawan, Special Staff to the BGN, mentioned that the affected SPPG units will remain closed until the investigation is completed and food samples from the MBG program are thoroughly tested in the laboratory. Independent institutions, along with local health and education departments, are working with BGN to determine the cause of the incident and closely monitor the health of the affected students. BGN has expressed sincere apologies to the students, parents, schools, and all affected parties, emphasizing a strict zero-tolerance policy for any negligence in procuring and distributing MBG meals that may jeopardize the beneficiaries’ health. Redy emphasized that the health and safety of MBG recipients are of utmost importance to the agency and they are collaborating with local government authorities to swiftly and effectively respond to the situation. The agency is implementing corrective measures such as enhancing partner screening, enforcing hygiene standards, monitoring food quality, and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on best practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. BGN is fully dedicated to ensuring that the MBG Program adheres to food safety standards and continues to provide its benefits without compromising health. They remain hopeful that with the support and vigilance of all stakeholders, the program will continue to serve the people effectively.

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