Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto expressed pride in the food safety standards of the government’s free nutritious meal program, which has produced roughly 4.5 billion meal portions for beneficiaries to date.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for 1,179 kitchens (SPPG) in Jakarta on Friday, Prabowo said the food safety testing technology used in the program is globally competitive.

“I saw the equipment being used, pioneered by the police. There are water filters and ultraviolet systems to kill bacteria on meal trays. There are food security and food safety tests produced domestically that are not inferior to global standards,” he said.

Prabowo emphasized that food production forms the foundation of civilization and represents a daily necessity that determines people’s survival. He highlighted the use of advanced yet affordable food-processing technologies in the program, including water filtration systems, ultraviolet sterilization for dining equipment, and domestically produced food safety testing devices.

The president added that the program has so far generated around 4.5 billion meal portions. Of that total, he received reports that approximately 28,000 beneficiaries experienced health disturbances, such as stomach pain suspected to be caused by food poisoning.

Statistically, however, he described the figure as extremely small, around 0.0006%, equivalent to a 99.999% success rate.

“What does that mean? 99.99% of the program is successful. Where is there any human endeavor that is 100%? There may be, but it is not easy to achieve,” he said.

Based on reports he received two days earlier that still require verification, Prabowo said Indonesia’s food safety performance in the program is considered better than that of several countries in Europe and Japan.

Despite the achievement, he warned officials not to become complacent and to continue ensuring the safety of meals delivered to beneficiaries.

“Let us not be arrogant or boastful. Arrogance is the beginning of destruction. Remember that. The fuller the rice, the lower it bows. This is the wisdom of our ancestors,” he said.

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