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๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia /Health & Science

Papua Meal Program Faces Food Poisoning Cases Due to Early Cooking

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Food safety incidents in Papua's Free and Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) occurred because meals were cooked too early, sometimes 13 hours before serving.
  • The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) stated that cooking at 7 PM for an 11 AM serving the next day violates safety protocols.
  • BGN will report cases of intentional wrongdoing, such as sabotage, to the police and is working to educate recipients on food safety.

Food safety concerns have arisen in Papua's Free and Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) due to meals being prepared significantly in advance of serving. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) revealed that in some instances, food was cooked as early as 7 PM the previous day and only served at 11 AM the following day. This practice, which can involve a 13-hour gap, violates established food safety protocols. The agency noted similar issues in Semarang, Central Java, where cooking began at 9 PM. BGN Head Sudaryono emphasized that these are matters of discipline and the agency is seeking ways to monitor the responsible units. Sudaryono affirmed that if evidence points to intentional acts like sabotage, BGN will not hesitate to report the perpetrators to the police for investigation. He also mentioned that some cases have involved food being taken home by recipients, highlighting the need for ongoing education about food safety practices among beneficiaries.

So indeed, they started cooking too early, if I'm not mistaken at 7 PM or 7:30 PM the day before to be eaten the next day at 11 AM, so that's a violation.

โ€” SudaryonoHead of the National Nutrition Agency explaining the timeline of food preparation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.