Indonesia's Nutrition Agency to Label Free Meals with 'Best Before' Dates After Poisoning Incidents

Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is introducing 'best before' labels on its free nutritious meals (MBG) program, a flagship initiative of the Prabowo Subianto government. The agency aims to prevent consumption of meals past their safe time limit, a measure prompted by recent food poisoning incidents.

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It's sad, but for the sake of food safety and preventing food poisoning, this is also important.

BGN Head Sudaryono highlighted the importance of food safety, citing an instance where a child took a meal home, underscoring the need for clear consumption guidelines. "It's sad, but for the sake of food safety and preventing food poisoning, this is also important," Sudaryono stated.

The MBG program has faced criticism after hundreds in Jayapura, Papua, fell ill from suspected food poisoning linked to undercooked tempeh bacem. Deputy BGN Head Trenggono confirmed the incident, stating that all affected individuals received medical attention. Similar food poisoning cases have occurred previously, leading to kitchen suspensions and a zero-tolerance policy.

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If it's past the time limit, it's best not to eat it. It must be eaten before the time limit.

The agency's plan to add consumption time limits aims to bolster public trust and ensure the program's integrity, especially as it continues to serve millions of meals nationwide.

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Initial investigations point to a suspected decline in the quality of one of the dishes, namely, tempeh bacem.