Jakarta. The government has assured that its Free Nutritious Meal program — mostly targeting students — will continue during the upcoming Eid holiday, ensuring that pregnant women, toddlers, and breastfeeding mothers remain covered despite the school break.

“Meals for pregnant women, toddlers and breastfeeding mothers will continue even though schools are closed,” The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Deputy Head for Nutrition Fulfillment Operations Sonny Sonjaya said on Monday.

The assurance comes as the government continues expanding what has become one of the world’s largest school feeding initiatives.

According to data compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP) and published on BGN’s official website, Indonesia’s free meal initiative is now the second-largest school feeding program globally.

As of March 3, 2026, the program has reached 61.2 million beneficiaries, including more than 49 million students, placing Indonesia ahead of similar programs in Brazil, China and the United States.

Despite the continued distribution for vulnerable groups, meal distribution for school students will be temporarily suspended from March 18 to March 24, 2026, in line with the Eid holiday schedule.

“Distribution for students will resume normally after Eid,” Sonny said.

The government has also reiterated its commitment to maintaining funding for the program as it expands nationwide.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the government would not cut the budget for the program — commonly known as MBG — even as rising global oil prices put pressure on Indonesia’s energy subsidy spending.

He said any budget adjustments would target nonproductive expenditures that are not directly related to providing nutritious meals.

At the same time, authorities are seeking to improve oversight and transparency in the program’s implementation.

SPPG units responsible for preparing meals have been instructed to upload daily menus on social media as part of transparency measures.

The posts must include not only the menu but also nutritional information and food preparation costs, allowing the public to monitor the quality and composition of the meals provided.

The measures come amid scrutiny following several suspected food poisoning incidents linked to the program.

BGN reported more than 11,000 suspected food poisoning cases in 2025, with the highest number recorded in West Java.

Separately, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) said 1,242 people were suspected of suffering food poisoning between Jan. 1 and Jan. 13, 2026.

Despite the incidents, BGN has set a target of achieving “zero defect” — meaning no food poisoning cases — by 2026.

Beyond its public health objective, the free meal program is also expected to generate broader economic benefits.

A study by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) estimates the program could contribute up to Rp26 trillion ($1.54 billion) to Indonesia’s economy through increased demand for food supplies and job creation.

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