Jakarta. The Indonesian government is requiring community kitchens involved in the national free meal program to publish their daily menus and nutritional information on social media, a move aimed at improving transparency and public oversight as the initiative expands nationwide.

The policy was announced by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program — one of the flagship initiatives of Prabowo Subianto.

Deputy Head for Nutrition Fulfillment Operations Sonny Sanjaya said the agency has instructed all Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units, known as SPPG, to create social media accounts and regularly upload information about the meals they serve.

“BGN has instructed all SPPG units to create social media accounts as a communication channel with the public. They are required to upload daily meal menus, nutritional content and food prices,” Sonny said in Bandung on Sunday.

The uploads are expected to allow the public to monitor the quality and composition of meals distributed through the program, which targets schoolchildren, infants, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

According to Sonny, the transparency measure will also make it easier for communities to report problems related to the program, including food quality or delivery issues.

Members of the public are encouraged to file complaints if they encounter shortcomings in the meals provided, he said, adding that the social media channels will function as a direct feedback mechanism between communities and local kitchens.

The initiative comes as the government seeks to strengthen food safety standards following reports of food poisoning linked to the program.

The National Nutrition Agency reported more than 11,000 suspected food poisoning cases in 2025 associated with the free meal initiative, with the largest 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” — or no food poisoning cases — in the program by 2026.

The free meal program is one of the most ambitious social initiatives launched by the current administration, designed to tackle malnutrition while stimulating local economies.

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.

The initiative relies on a vast network of community kitchens known as SPPG units. The government says 23,678 kitchens are currently spread across the country.

Sumatra hosts the largest share of beneficiaries, with around 12.3 million people, followed by Sulawesi with approximately 4.4 million.

In 2025, the program reached about 50.7 million beneficiaries out of the targeted 82.9 million, supported by 17,555 kitchens employing nearly 742,000 workers.

The government has earmarked Rp335 trillion for the program in 2026, with the National Nutrition Agency reporting that Rp32.1 trillion had already been disbursed in the early months of the year.

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