President Prabowo Subianto emphasized the achievements of Indonesia's free meal program for students or Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) has reached nearly 30 million beneficiaries. The deviation or error is statistically minimal, which is 0.00017% of all meals distributed. The deviation is not only a number. Recent cases of food poisoning in this program have raised concerns the incidents need serious attention. The problem indicates that more effective food safety controls should be put in place to prevent future outbreaks. Without sufficient safeguards, even minor contamination incidents of any kind can have a far reaching effect.

The problem indicates that more effective food safety controls should be put in place to prevent future outbreaks. Even a minor contamination incident can be far-reaching without proper protection mechanisms. Thus, it is not only a logistical challenge, but a systemic one. To be sure that each meal is safe, there must be a stable chain of procurement, storage, and distribution.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO); 600 million people become victims of foodborne diseases each year, or 1 per 10 in the world, causing 420,000 deaths annually. The scale of the problem underscores the importance of rigorous hygiene standards across food supply chains.

Foodborne diseases are caused by contamination of food by bacteria, viruses, or parasites at any point of production and processing, as well as preparation. It is usually caused by such pathogens as Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella, especially when food is handled improperly. Safe food, according to Marion Nestle, a leading nutritionist, in her book, Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety (2010), is more than merely washing hands or cooking food at a higher temperature.

Indonesia has regulations and standards, but the issue is the hygiene literacy and application. The policies need to be translated into real world practice, and food safety measures should be adhered to at all levels. The journey of food ‘from farm to fork’ is very complex, involving multiple players as well as numerous handling processes. Long supply chains result in higher chances of contamination, and hence, food safety literacy is very important across the board.

Collective Awareness

Promoting hand washing and utensil use among schoolchildren is good, but not enough. Hygiene practices should be applied at the production and distribution levels in order to guarantee safety along the food supply chain. The success of MBG depends on the collective understanding of all stakeholders in the food supply chain. Farmers, suppliers, transporters, food handlers, and policymakers should be jointly responsible when it comes to safe food practices. In the absence of a cohesive strategy, any knowledge or implementation gaps in any of the stages may undermine the safety of school-served meals. The success of MBG depends on much more issues than just hygiene awareness among schoolchildren.

MBG success entails a collective effort of food safety throughout the supply chain. All people engaged in the production, processing, and distribution of food are crucial to preventing contamination and delivering meals to students in a healthy and safe condition. School food handlers including kitchen personnel and distributors should be provided with knowledge  in order to strictly adhere to sanitation standards, minimize incidences of cross-contamination, and most importantly maintain safe food preparation environments. Food hygiene as a collective understanding implies that responsibility should not lie with the people who serve the completed meal but be shared across all the food supply system touchpoints. A farmer who does not know how to use pesticides correctly, a distributor who does not care about temperature or a food handler who does not remember about the hygiene standards may introduce risks that may be transmitted all over the system.

By inculcating food safety literacy among all stakeholders, MBG will create a much more resilient food distribution model. Enhancing awareness at all levels will be critical to the success of the program and the protection of the health of millions of Indonesian students. Without a concerted effort, any gaps in the chain, be it in farming, transportation, storage or preparation, may result in food-borne illnesses outbreak, compromising the health of school children and negating the effects of the MBG program.

Food Vulnerability

The vulnerability of perishable foods, especially animal foods like meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, is one of the least considered areas of food safety. These food products are very prone to microbial growth as well as spoilage under inappropriate storage conditions.

In contrast to shelf-stable foods, perishable products need to be stored at a very specific temperature to avoid bacteria growth. Cold chain management is important in maintaining the safety of dairy and meat products. When these items are not kept at the right temperatures, there is a risk of bacterial contamination and this raises the chances of foodborne diseases. Appropriate refrigeration systems and surveillance should be given top priority in order to protect food integrity.

Prolonged food supply chains may augment the exposure to contamination. The challenge can be reduced by strengthening local food networks, which will ensure that food is delivered to the consumers in the best possible condition. A localized strategy has the capability of cutting risks associated with transportation and enhancing food security.

For example, the school feeding program in Brazil, Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, has a large part of its budget allocated to the purchase of ingredients produced by small local farmers. By 2026, all suppliers will be expected to adhere to sustainable farming practices. Similarly, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in India is a mixed approach in its focus on hygiene and efficiency, where the centralized kitchens in urban centers serve schools with meals, whereas in rural areas the communities prepare their own food to ensure freshness.

Indonesia can emulate these strategies in an effort to enhance its school meal program. In order to make food hygiene and literacy more feasible, Indonesia needs to have a more robust regulation control. The start of food safety bridging is through shared literacy. All stakeholders should have an understanding of fundamental food hygiene measures to avoid lapses that may compromise the health of the population. But the bigger challenge is not knowledge but implementation.

The Way Forward

Ensuring the safety of every meal served by MBG is not only a technical issue, but it is also a question of governance, education, as well as that of common responsibility. It requires more than just efficient logistics to feed millions of students every day. The program needs a safety culture that will go beyond farmers and food handlers to the policymakers and parents. All the links in the food chain should understand the role they have in safeguarding the health of children.

Based on the experience of other countries, Indonesia can reinforce MBG through the localization of supply chains and enhancement of inspection systems. A food safety literacy promotion at all levels will make sure that hygiene policies are not merely a piece of paper. The prevention of contamination and preservation of food quality will be achieved by investing into cold chain infrastructure, clear hygiene standards, and regular monitoring. These steps will also increase the trust that people have on the government to provide safe and healthy food.

Overall, MBG represents not only a national nutrition initiative, but also a very bold moral commitment to nourish the nation’s future. In addition to the impressive figures of the program, the success will be determined by the safety, dignity, and well-being of all children it serves.