BLITAR – Complaints have emerged about the Free Nutritious Meals Program in Blitar after residents reported inappropriate menu items served to children, including sour oranges, hard bread, and jackfruit vegetable dishes.
Despite the criticism, local officials say the program remains safe. Authorities have not recorded any food poisoning cases in the city, unlike incidents reported in several other regions of Indonesia.
The Blitar Free Nutritious Meals Program, locally known as Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), aims to improve children’s nutrition through free meal distribution. However, the program has recently faced growing scrutiny over food quality.
The city’s MBG Task Force said it has received multiple public complaints about meals prepared by local nutrition service kitchens, known as Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG).
Most complaints focus on menu quality and suitability, particularly during the Ramadan period.
Field inspections have confirmed several of the concerns raised by residents. In Kepanjenkidul District, for example, inspectors found jackfruit vegetable dishes served to children.
Officials also discovered sour oranges and hard-textured bread that were still distributed to meal recipients.
Blitar MBG Task Force Head Priyo Suhartono said authorities immediately responded after receiving the reports.
“We issued a strong warning on site as soon as we identified the problem,” Priyo said.
According to him, kitchen operators quickly acknowledged their mistakes and corrected the menu after the warning.
“They admitted the error and apologized. We instructed them to strictly follow Ramadan menu guidelines issued by the National Nutrition Agency,” he said.
Priyo, who also serves as Blitar’s Regional Secretary, stressed that the city conducts routine monitoring of MBG kitchens to prevent potential health risks.
Although Blitar has not experienced food poisoning cases so far, officials remain cautious after similar incidents occurred in other areas.
The task force has also warned kitchen operators that repeated violations will trigger stricter action.
Initial evaluations show that one kitchen has already repeated similar mistakes twice.
“Our authority at the regional level is supervision and control,” Priyo said. “If a kitchen repeats the violation after three warnings, we will report it to the National Nutrition Agency for further action.”
The National Nutrition Agency, known locally as Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN), has the authority to impose sanctions on non-compliant kitchens.
The most severe penalty could include suspending the kitchen’s operations.
Priyo said the program can continue smoothly as long as all kitchens follow official guidelines.
“If all SPPG kitchens comply with the rules and instructions from the National Nutrition Agency, the program should run safely,” he added.