Official announces weekly milk provision under free nutritious meals

Bogor, West Java (ANTARA) - Head of the Presidential Communication Office, Hasan Nasbi, stated that milk will be provided in the free nutritious meals program (MBG) once or twice a week based on availability.

"We provide milk, but not every day. Some are once or twice a week," he remarked during the first day of the implementation of MBG at the Kedungbadak 1 Bogor elementary school on Monday.

Nasbi explained that the MBG program features a different menu every day through the Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) or public kitchens in various regions, ensuring the provision of milk at least once a week.

Nasbi emphasized that MBH is a momentum to educate children to consume vegetables. He expressed his admiration for the enthusiasm shown by the students of Kedungbadak 1 Bogor Elementary School towards the menu featuring vegetables.

He also visited the Tanahsareal SPPG in Bogor to review the food preparation, where he witnessed strict standard operational procedures (SOP) being adhered to in the public kitchen.

According to Nasbi, this SPPG has established effective standards concerning food management, distribution, and waste handling.

"The waste in the SPPG has been separated, such as plastic waste and leftover food," he remarked.

MBG is a priority program in the Prabowo-Gibran administration, with 190 SPPGs spread across 26 provinces.

These provinces comprise Aceh, Bali, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Riau, Lampung, Banten, West Java, Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, and Gorontalo.

The public kitchens are also located in West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Papua, and South Papua.

Each kitchen is managed by a head of SPPG appointed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). The head of SPPG works with a nutritionist and an accountant to ensure strict supervision of nutritional quality and smooth food distribution.

In addition to guaranteeing adequate nutrition in each meal prepared, SPPGs are also tasked with supervising cleanliness standards and managing nutritional quality and waste in each kitchen.

Nasbi described this program as a historic milestone for Indonesia, where the government implements a national-scale nutritional fulfillment program for toddlers, students, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.