Jakarta. Since taking over as head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono has made strengthening governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program a top priority, with reforms focused on kitchen oversight, digital tracking, food safety and beneficiary targeting.

The MBG program is a massive undertaking aimed at providing free meals to more than 80 million beneficiaries, mostly students and expectant mothers, with a 2026 budget of Rp 268 trillion ($15 billion). But since its launch in January 2025, the program has been plagued by corruption scandals and food poisoning cases.

The MBG reform includes tighter supervision of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs), digital operational logs, stricter hygiene standards and a review of beneficiary targets.

President Prabowo Subianto appointed Sudaryono, then deputy agriculture minister, to lead BGN on Wednesday, marking the agency’s second leadership change in less than two months as it seeks to recover from a high-profile corruption scandal.

Sudaryono has since permanently shut down 833 MBG kitchens that failed to meet operational and hygiene standards. 

He said Prabowo had instructed him to address operational problems directly rather than avoid them.

"The President gave a clear directive: 'You have to run into the problem.' We must be willing to run toward issues and resolve them. How? By loving your people and using your common sense," Sudaryono said at BGN headquarters on July 22.

He stressed that BGN operations must follow standard operating procedures, technical guidelines and established systems to ensure the program is implemented consistently rather than based on individual directives.

So, what key steps is National Nutrition Agency taking to overhaul the MBG program?

Senior BGN Officials Reassigned to Regional Offices
One of Sudaryono’s flagship measures is requiring senior government officials to work directly from regional offices. The policy aims to strengthen hands-on oversight of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program and ensure its implementation is closely monitored on the ground.

The agency has mapped out regional assignments for each executive, ensuring monitoring covers every operational zone closely.

The move addresses the nationwide scale of the MBG program, with kitchens spread across regions, making centralized oversight from Jakarta insufficient.

Under this dual-responsibility framework, BGN executives retain their core structural duties while assuming territorial accountability.

CCTV System Set Up to Monitor All Kitchens
Kitchen surveillance will also be bolstered through an integrated CCTV network.

The agency is currently building a system to link cameras across all SPPG central kitchens directly to central headquarters. This digital oversight push follows several reported cases of suspected food poisoning.

"We are currently working on integrating live CCTV feeds from every kitchen directly to our central headquarters. That is a core monitoring objective we aim to achieve," Sudaryono said.

Once operational, the system will allow kitchen activities to be monitored across multiple tiers of government—from local district coordinators to regency, provincial, and national authorities.

"Surveillance won't be limited to headquarters. For instance, sub-district coordinators can check when local kitchens operate, while regency and provincial officials can monitor their respective jurisdictions," he added.

While the integrated CCTV system is being deployed, the agency has made digital logbooks (POP) mandatory for all operating kitchens.

This system digitally tracks every stage of food preparation—from raw ingredient delivery to final delivery at schools. The digital trail enables the National Nutrition Agency to trace processes immediately if issues arise.

"Our system now mandates a complete log for everything. From ingredient purchases, arrival times, when meat is cooked, cooling durations, dish packing, dispatch, to arrival at schools—everything is logged. If an incident occurs, we can review the entire timeline," Sudaryono explained.

Strict 4-Hour Consumption Limit
The agency has also tightened standard operating procedures regarding meal consumption windows.

Meals must now be consumed within a maximum of four hours after cooking. Furthermore, every meal tray will feature a time label specifying the consumption deadline to mitigate food poisoning risks.

"We have instructed all units to label every tray with a clear time limit. Once that time passes, the meal should not be consumed," Sudaryono stated.

These stricter rules follow the agency's evaluation of several suspected food poisoning incidents across regions, including Jayapura and a recent suspected case in Bogor currently under investigation.

Citing the Jayapura case, Sudaryono noted that cooking began at 7:00 PM, but the meals were only delivered to schools at 11:00 AM the next day.

Target Beneficiary List Recalibrated
Governance reforms also extend to target audience selection. The agency is currently refocusing its list of beneficiaries.

Sudaryono noted that hundreds of elite private schools have explicitly stated they do not require the MBG program, prompting the National Nutrition Agency to recalibrate its coverage calculations.

Theagency is assessing the impact of this refocusing, which may adjust overall recipient numbers compared to initial targets.

"We are calculating the updated beneficiary targets following this refocusing and will announce them soon. What is clear is that we are auditing private schools, particularly elite institutions, which simply do not need MBG," Sudaryono explained.

He added that the agency has actively engaged school principals, school boards, and parents to evaluate actual needs.

"We communicated directly with principals, parents, and school committees. Hundreds of schools have formally opted out. These are mostly private schools with higher tuition fees that do not require state-provided meal assistance," he said.

However, the agency has not yet disclosed the exact number of schools opting out or the revised overall target, as data collection remains ongoing.

Uncertified Kitchens Face Permanent Closure
Hygiene and sanitation compliance are also front and center. Sudaryono issued a firm deadline of Aug. 10, for all kitchens lacking a Sanitation and Hygiene Merit Certificate (SLHS) to secure certification.

Kitchens operating without a valid SLHS past the deadline face permanent closure.

"You either meet the standards or you don't. If you don't, you are shut down permanently," Sudaryono declared at a press conference at the Ministry of Health on Aug.5.

Sudaryono added that several operating kitchens have yet to secure their SLHS, prompting the National Nutrition Agency to grant a final grace period to finalize certification before the deadline.

Public Tracking App in Development
Beyond internal oversight, the agency is developing a digital application to allow parents to track MBG execution in real time.

Through the app, parents can check daily school menus, ingredient nutrition facts, the specific SPPG kitchen preparing the food, and the unit manager in charge.

"Parents will be able to log into the system to see where their child attends school, today's menu, the nutrition profile, which kitchen prepared it, and who the SPPG manager is. Stakeholders and the public will have full access to this data," Sudaryono announced during a press conference at National Nutrition Agency headquarters on July 27.

To access the system, parents will log in using their child's National Identification Number to protect personal student data. Access will also be extended to school administrators, local education offices, and health authorities.

"Parents can log in with their child's National Identification Number to view school details, daily menu items, nutritional content, cooking location, and responsible personnel. It provides transparent access for parents, teachers, and principals alike," he explained.

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