PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program not only needs to meet the nutritional needs of beneficiaries, but also ensures that food is safe from the time the ingredients are selected until they are consumed.

This was discussed in the Sonata Talkshow entitled "Free Nutritious Meals: Already Nutritious, Is It Safe?" which was broadcast live on Radio Sonata on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

The talk show presented Member of Commission IV of the Bandung City DPRD Dr. dr. Agung Firmansyah Sumantri, Sp.PD., KHOM., MMRS., FINASIM and Head of the Public Health Division of the Bandung City Health Office dr. Dewi Primasari, Sp.DLP.

Agung said the MBG program aims to improve the quality of human resources by fulfilling the nutritional needs of school children, toddlers, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

"In my opinion, the MBG has good intentions; the program is actually good. The goal is, of course, to invest in human quality, so the human development index is the ultimate goal," Agung said.

According to him, support for the MBG program needs to be accompanied by supervision to ensure that food meets nutritional needs and does not become a source of disease.

"We at the Bandung City Council certainly support this program because it has a direct impact on the community. However, this support must also be accompanied by proper oversight," he said.

Agung stated that the implementation of the MBG needs to ensure that the food composition meets needs, food security is maintained, and aid is provided to the right targets.

"First, we must ensure that the food is nutritious. The composition of the food must be appropriate to the needs. It must not become a source of disease. And third, and this is crucial, it must be targeted," he said.

He emphasized that food safety must be considered from the selection of ingredients until the food is received and consumed by the beneficiaries.

"Starting from the selection of ingredients, the quality and storage of ingredients, the cleanliness of the kitchen, the hygiene of the person preparing the food, then how the food is packaged, then how it is transported, until the food is truly accepted and ready for consumption by children," he said.

Meanwhile, Dewi explained that current nutritional fulfillment refers to the principle of balanced nutrition, one of which is expressed through the concept of "Isi Piringku".

"We no longer use the slogan '4 Healthy, 5 Perfect'. We now use balanced nutrition, or, more simply, the concept of 'Isi Piringku' (My Plate)," Dewi explained.

According to Dewi, balanced nutrition regulates macro and micro nutrient needs by paying attention to the type and portion of food.

In general, half of the plate is filled with fruit and vegetables, while the other half consists of sources of carbohydrates and vegetable and animal protein.

In addition to composition and portion size, Dewi emphasized food safety because nutritious food still carries the risk of causing health problems if it is not processed properly.

He mentioned five key factors of food safety, namely maintaining cleanliness, separating raw and cooked ingredients, cooking until thoroughly cooked, using safe water and raw materials, and ensuring food temperatures remain safe.

"So, this program must be both nutritious and safe. Besides supporting them, we must also ensure their safety, so they don't become ill," he said.

Dewi explained that the risk of contamination can arise during the selection and storage of raw materials, processing, serving, storage, and distribution of food.

"Indeed, every series has risks," said Dewi.

According to him, food safety supervision cannot be entrusted to one party because the implementation of MBG involves many people and stages.

In its implementation, the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) has nutritionists who play a role in determining the menu and can coordinate with nutritionists at the community health center.

If food poisoning is suspected, health center officers will conduct inspections at the school and kitchen and examine food samples for possible contamination.

"If there's a case, we from the community health center usually go to the school and the kitchen. The school and kitchen must have samples of the food delivered that day. We then test the samples to check for contamination, microbiological risks, or other chemical substances," Dewi explained.

He added that laboratory test results are an important part of determining whether an incident was caused by food poisoning or other factors.

The public is also advised not to panic when they discover suspected cases, but to immediately seek help and report them to the nearest health care facility.

"Don't panic. Secondly, seek help immediately. Report it to the nearest health facility. We can investigate and find the cause," said Dewi.

Through joint supervision of nutritional fulfillment and food security, the implementation of MBG is expected to provide benefits in accordance with program objectives and support the growth and development of beneficiaries.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)