Free “Dangerous” Food

Free Nutritious Meals is a campaign promise by President Prabowo Subianto aimed at addressing public health, the quality of human resources, and economic growth. However, the realization of this program up to now may actually deviate from those aspirations.

In addition to several cases of spoiled food and poisoning, ultra-processed food products in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program have been reported in several schools, especially outside Java. These factory-made products include dry biscuits, instant cereals, bread, and flavored milk drinks—not actual milk. Some are supplemented with eggs and dates.

An analysis of the MBG menu during the fasting month by the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI) revealed that the ultra-processed components served contain high sugar levels.

The combination of two MBG menu items, namely dry biscuits and instant cereal, can contribute up to 18 grams of sugar. According to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), this amount constitutes 72 percent of the daily sugar intake requirement for children aged 2-18 years, which is 25 grams.

Many scientific reports have shown the dangers of ultra-processed foods. A report in JAMA Network Open in May 2024 mentioned the dangers of ultra-processed foods for children. Ultra-processed foods in this study include packaged snacks, soft drinks, sugary cereals, and ready-to-eat products, including cookies.

Such foods often contain coloring agents, emulsifiers, flavorings, preservatives, and other additives, and are typically high in energy, added sugars, saturated fats, and salt, but lack vitamins and fiber.

This study evaluated the consumption of the product among more than 1,500 boys and girls aged 3-6 years who served as respondents.

The results showed that children who consumed more ultra-processed foods had higher scores in several parameters, such as body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass index, and blood sugar levels. They also had lower levels of HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol.

A systematic review in The BMJ in January 2024 concluded that early exposure to ultra-processed foods was strongly associated with increased unhealthy eating patterns and a higher risk of obesity and catastrophic diseases, such as heart disease.

In fact, data from the Ministry of Health's Basic Health Research shows that the percentage of obesity in children in Indonesia continues to increase, namely from 8 percent in 2007 to 21.8 percent in 2018.

This means that one in five children in Indonesia is overweight or obese. So, the nutritional problem of Indonesian children is not only malnutrition, but also unhealthy eating patterns, including high consumption of ultra-processed foods and lack of fiber and vitamins.

The passing of ultra-processed foods in the MBG menu triggers multiple dangers because it can damage children's understanding of healthy food standards. By including ultra-processed foods in the MBG menu, children and even their parents will think that it is a balanced nutritious meal.

The inclusion of ultra-processed foods in the MBG menu poses multiple dangers because it can damage children's understanding of healthy food standards.

Instead of being healthy, the provision of ultra-processed food in MBG is like planting a time bomb. Indonesia Emas 2045 as stated as the mission of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) could become a generation of anxiety due to disease.

In fact, as published by BGN on their social media pages, the preparation of the MBG menu was carried out by a team of nutritionists. The menu is also designed with local ingredients that meet balanced nutrition.

In fact, not only is the nutrition problematic, the menu served in MBG is also uniform. Children in the interior of Papua are given the same menu as in Java. Rice and wheat are the main carbohydrate ingredients.

This is like repeating the mistake of the New Order which standardized food in Indonesia. Food as if rice and wheat were its diversification.

In fact, not all areas are suitable for rice fields, especially wheat that cannot grow in tropical climates. Every place in this country has its own food sources and that is what gives birth to a diverse food culture.

The National Nutrition Agency said that in the initial stage, the MBG program serves 3 million recipients with a budget of around Rp1 trillion per month. It is targeted that starting in September 2025, this program will reach 82.9 million people and its budget could be Rp25 trillion per month.

This is a large amount of money, especially since the country is experiencing a budget deficit. The MBG program has currently become an excuse for state budget efficiency. So, is it true that MBG can drive the economy as stated as one of the missions of this program?

The large budget that is being disbursed will undoubtedly drive the economy. However, it is questionable who will benefit. If the menu served is mostly manufactured, then the food industry, even food importers, will benefit more. The more wheat components are used, our wheat imports will swell.

Currently, Indonesia imports 10 million-11 million tons of wheat per year—many times the volume of rice imports. Indonesia is currently one of the largest wheat importers in the world. Of course, this is contrary to the ideal of food self-sufficiency.

We must learn from other countries, such as Brazil, which has successfully fed around 40 million children per day and has become a role model for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Brazil decentralizes its lunch program. The central government provides special funding and state education departments are responsible for purchasing food. However, chefs and principals can create their own menus according to state guidelines with the help of nutritionists.

Brazilian regulations also require that at least 30 percent of federal funding for school meal programs be purchased from local farmers or family farms. By 2022, 40 percent of that food will be purchased from local farmers.

Instead of relying on the military, Brazil invited civil society to run the program and monitor and evaluate it. This allowed the program to continue running with a number of improvements.

Given the high expectations of the community and the budget used, the MBG program should be monitored and evaluated. Don't let this program with noble aspirations fatten corruption, but fail to make society healthy.