2.721 SPPG sempat ditutup sementara – Sertifikasi jangan hanya pemenuhan administrasi saja

A total of 2,721 Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) across three regional clusters faced temporary suspension starting March 7. The primary reason for this halt was the failure of these thousands of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) kitchens to register for a Hygiene Sanitation Certificate (SLHS), coupled with inadequate Wastewater Treatment Installations (IPALs).

Subsequently, 994 of these SPPGs have resumed operations, reportedly after submitting applications for their SLHS. However, food safety experts have issued a stern warning, stressing that the SLHS should not be “merely an administrative fulfillment without regard for its substance and actual competence.”

“The normal process for certification takes time. If there’s an acceleration, physical inspections might become perfunctory or superficial. The assessment of human resource readiness could be rushed. Ultimately, the crucial outcome becomes merely the issuance of a certificate administratively,” stated Professor Dr. Ir. Sri Raharjo, Head of the Food and Nutrition Studies Center (PSPG) at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), to BBC News Indonesia on Thursday (02/12). He added, “The expedited issuance of a certificate cannot directly equate to guaranteed food safety for the SPPGs receiving it, especially if the acquisition method is irregular.”

Separately, Diah Saminarsih, Founder and CEO of CISDI, urged the government to implement a moratorium on the operational expansion of new SPPGs and the number of MBG beneficiaries. This, she argued, would allow for a more focused and comprehensive evaluation of the MBG program. Such a moratorium, she explained, would also enable optimal assessment of MBG governance.

As of March 13, data from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) indicates that the number of operational SPPG kitchens has reached 24,738. For the current year, the target for SPPGs ranges between 33,000 and 36,617, comprising approximately 28,000 SPPGs in agglomeration areas and 8,617 in remote regions, all aimed at serving 82.9 million beneficiaries.

Addressing these concerns, Redy Hendra Gunawan, Special Staff to the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for Communication, affirmed that the number of SPPGs would continue to grow in line with the presidential targets. Regarding fears that accelerated certification could lead to new problems, Redy clarified that the issuance of SLHS falls under the purview of local health departments, adhering to Ministry of Health regulations.

“It’s not really an acceleration; there’s no expedited process for SLHS administration. Each has its requirements, and that falls under the Ministry of Health, not BGN. The ball is in BGN’s court once an SPPG has registered for SLHS, meaning they are cleared to resume operations,” Redy explained. He further elaborated, “Essentially, these are SPPGs that have been operating since last year, around the first semester of 2025. We are reviewing them to ensure all register for SLHS. For new SPPGs in this current period, they must register for SLHS before commencing operations.”

BBC News Indonesia previously inquired about this certification matter with the Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana. He had stated that the initial phase prioritized the establishment and operation of SPPGs to facilitate immediate distribution, with certification to be managed subsequently. However, a series of food poisoning incidents prompted the Ministry of Health to issue Circular Letter Number HK.02.02/C.I/4202/2025 on the Acceleration of Hygiene Sanitation Certificate Issuance for Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units within the Free Nutritious Meal Program on October 1, 2025.

The circular explicitly states that food safety is a critical factor, alongside nutritional aspects. Food must be safe for consumption, and proactive measures are essential to prevent contamination throughout the ready-to-eat processed food supply chain. Implementing robust food hygiene and sanitation practices can effectively control critical contamination points in food management and ensure the safety of ready-to-eat processed foods. Through this circular, SLHS issuance is now mandated within a maximum of 14 days after an SPPG’s application, provided all required documents are complete and meet the criteria. Typically, SLHS processing can take up to 21 working days.

Where were the temporarily closed SPPG locations?

• Region I

On March 7, BGN issued a letter announcing the temporary suspension of 492 SPPGs in Region I, encompassing Sumatra. A BGN press release indicated this closure was indefinite, requiring SPPGs to register for SLHS to reactivate. Harjito, Director of Monitoring and Supervision for Region I, stated that the suspension was a measure to enforce standards for safety and kitchen eligibility in the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program.

Harjito added that these provisions apply to kitchens that had been operational for over 30 days but had not yet registered for SLHS. The highest number of unregistered SPPGs was in North Sumatra with 252 kitchens, followed by Lampung (77), Aceh (76), West Sumatra (69), Riau (9), Riau Islands (5), and Bengkulu (4). Interestingly, Jambi, South Sumatra, and Bangka Belitung recorded no unregistered kitchens. Currently, 169 SPPGs have resumed operations after registering for SLHS, including the Kedai Durian 2 SPPG in North Sumatra.

The Kedai Durian 2 SPPG was among the 252 SPPGs previously suspended by the government. These hundreds of MBG kitchens ceased operations due to non-compliance with various requirements, such as SLHS and IPAL. The Kedai Durian 2 SPPG is situated within an alley amidst a residential area, with its rear wall bordering a resident’s house. According to Rizki Khalid, Head of Kedai Durian 2 SPPG, their MBG kitchen was suspended from Monday (09/03) but was permitted to resume operations on Thursday (12/03). “We were informed that several kitchens, including mine, were suspended,” Rizki stated.

Despite resuming operations, the MBG kitchen managed by Rizki has yet to fully meet requirements like SLHS and IPAL. They are currently in the process of obtaining them. “This is being handled. We are in the process for SLHS, so for now, it’s not complete. Perhaps after Lebaran. Because it’s a lengthy process,” Rizki explained. Muhammad Nurhadi, Field Assistant for Tanjung Rejo IV SPPG, revealed that their MBG kitchen also temporarily halted production due to the lack of SLHS. “The suspension yesterday was related to SLHS from the health department. So, that’s indeed part of the administrative completeness for the kitchen. It’s our responsibility as the kitchen operator,” he remarked. The temporary halt in MBG production, Nurhadi continued, automatically impacted the workers, though not significantly, as they would still receive their wages. “Actually, there’s no loss. Because BGN’s policy was for us to stop production. But for work activities, the latest information I received is that we are still paid. Because we continue to be active,” he affirmed.

• Region II

On March 10, BGN announced another temporary suspension of operations for 1,512 SPPGs spread across Java Island. “This was done as a follow-up to the evaluation of operational standards fulfillment and facility/infrastructure requirements at a number of SPPGs,” said Albertus Dony Dewantoro, Director of Monitoring and Supervision for Region II BGN, as quoted in a BGN press release. The closures were due to these SPPGs lacking SLHS and having inadequate IPALs. The suspended SPPGs were distributed across DKI Jakarta (50 units), Banten (62 units), West Java (350 units), Central Java (54 units), East Java (788 units), and DI Yogyakarta (208 units). However, on Thursday (12/03), BGN announced that 825 SPPGs had reactivated after addressing their SLHS. There are still 218 SPPGs that have not yet registered for SLHS. One SPPG that resumed operations after suspension was Lenteng 3 SPPG in East Java. Mellisa Agustin, Head of Lenteng 3 SPPG, stated that her SPPG was back in operation after registering for SLHS. “We only started operating last February. So far, it’s been about a month. When we started, we immediately processed the SLHS. We thought we didn’t have SLHS, but everything was already complete. When I drafted the letter for the lifting of the suspension, I included the SLHS documentation,” Mellisa clarified.

• Region III

On March 11, BGN also suspended operations for 717 SPPGs in Region III, targeting those that had not yet registered for SLHS. Based on BGN Region III’s monitoring recapitulation, out of a total of 4,219 recorded SPPGs, 2,138 kitchens already possessed SLHS, 1,364 kitchens were in the process of obtaining it, while 717 kitchens had not registered at all. These unregistered SPPGs are spread across several provinces, including West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Maluku, and several areas in Papua. Rudi Setiawan, Director of Monitoring and Supervision for Region III BGN, stated in a BGN press release that SLHS ownership is a crucial requirement to ensure SPPGs meet hygiene and food safety standards for the program’s beneficiaries.

What are citizens’ opinions regarding SPPGs?

For the past month, a persistent noise has disturbed Ramto’s home every night. The 66-year-old man also helplessly observes food waste flowing through the private ditch beside his house. Ramto operates a coffee stall, and his home is directly adjacent to the Kedai Durian 2 Nutritional Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in Deli Tua sub-district, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra. “First, the noise, second, the drainage. From the MBG kitchen, the drain flows into my land here. So, they dispose of it here, onto my land,” Ramto said while conversing at his stall on Friday (13/03).

Ramto admitted that he doesn’t particularly mind the noise often generated when the MBG kitchen operates at night. However, he hopes the management finds a solution so that the kitchen waste is no longer discharged into the ditch on his private property. At the very least, Ramto requested that they improve the channel to prevent future blockages. “I’ve asked them to cement the ditch. That way, even leftover rice can flow smoothly. This is my land, but their waste is discharged here. If there wasn’t a ditch on my land, it wouldn’t be able to flow. As for the noise, I understand, because there are many people in that MBG kitchen. It’s just the waste disposal that’s the issue,” Ramto emphasized.

In a different location, Jojo, a 38-year-old resident of Tanjung Rejo Village, Medan Sunggal District, Medan City, North Sumatra Province, also voiced complaints. His house is next to the Tanjung Rejo IV SPPG’s MBG kitchen. While he doesn’t mind the waste, Jojo is sometimes bothered by the noise from the kitchen’s operations. Like Kedai Durian 2 SPPG, this MBG kitchen is also located in a residential area. “If you know them, there are benefits. If not, then no. For us living next door, what we experience is the commotion, the noise. It reduces our peace and quiet. It disturbs our rest,” Jojo lamented.

Meanwhile, Kadi Triyono (52), a resident of Sarperreng Hamlet, Lenteng Village, Lenteng District, whose house is directly behind Lenteng 3 SPPG, stated that he has had no issues with the MBG kitchen’s operations over the past month. “So far, no problem. They work inside, so it’s not even audible. As for waste, it has its path through the paralon [PVC pipe]. Where it goes, I don’t know. But so far, it’s safe for the surrounding residents,” Kadi said. Regardless of operations, Laila Maryati (45), a Bogor resident, questioned why the certification of MBG kitchens is only being pursued now. “It’s confusing, why only now? It should have been certified before it started. Many children have gotten food poisoning and are traumatized,” Laila expressed.

According to her, a government priority program with a budget of trillions should have been well-planned to avoid numerous problems on the ground that harm the community. “Actually, at my child’s school, the MBG meals are safe. Although during Ramadan, these dry menus make me a bit worried about their expiration dates. But not all are safe. For such an important program, the standards should be the same. To ensure consistency, I think certification should be in place first before operations. It shouldn’t be reversed,” Laila asserted.

In response to these concerns, BGN Special Staff Redy Hendra Gunawan stated that the agency is continuously striving to address them. Options range from relocation to improvements when residents near an SPPG are disturbed by its operations. “During establishment, BGN actually reviews initial permits, particularly regarding construction approval. In several locations, we have requested relocation when surrounding residents were displeased. Improvements have also been made in some areas.” Regarding certification, he conveyed that all new SPPGs are mandated to register for SLHS before commencing operations, while the current SLHS issues pertain to SPPGs established during the early phase of the MBG program.

What exactly is SLHS?

SLHS, or the Hygiene Sanitation Certificate, is an official document issued by local health departments to certify that a business meets hygiene and sanitation standards. This document is mandatory for establishments such as restaurants, catering services, drinking water depots, and even swimming pools. The requirements for obtaining an SLHS include:

• Certificate of food safety training for the owner/person in charge.
• Certificate of hygiene sanitation training for food handlers/drinking water depot operators.
• Laboratory test results (for water, food, or equipment) from an accredited lab, valid for a maximum of 1 month before application.
• Environmental Health Inspection (IKL) form.

Melissa Agustin, Head of Lenteng 3 SPPG, recalled submitting several documents, including food handler training certificates as proof of completed training, food safety training certificates for those in charge, and food samples. “For samples, I haven’t submitted wet samples yet. Because right now, during Ramadan, we are still using dry ingredients,” Melissa explained.

Sri Raharjo, a lecturer in the Department of Food Technology and Agricultural Products at UGM’s Faculty of Agricultural Technology, emphasized that the SLHS is not just a piece of administrative paper. Its detailed substance must be demonstrably proven on the ground. “If we want to follow common practices, first, there must be what is called CPPOB, or Good Processed Food Production Practices. At least these three components must first be secured,” Sri stated.

First, concerning the facility’s building and infrastructure. All elements of the building and its infrastructure must be able to protect indoor areas from external contamination, such as dirty air, insects, and pests like rats. “So, how the ventilation is designed, how the doors, roof, ceilings, and everything else must ensure it can prevent or avoid attacks or contamination from outside,” Sri elaborated. Even floors, walls, and all details within the building must be easy to clean.

Second, facilities and equipment must be carefully considered. Basic facilities like handwashing stations, dishwashing areas, and toilets, Sri noted, must be meticulously designed to ensure separate water flows, preventing contamination. Similarly, equipment and food storage, from fresh produce to cold or frozen items, require dedicated spaces with appropriate temperature controls. Cooking equipment must also be tailored to the target volume of food to be processed. “If the volume to be handled is large, perhaps hundreds to two thousand portions in one cooking session, then many units are needed. It’s not feasible to use household stoves, as some food might not be cooked perfectly. Cooking temperatures, such as during boiling or frying, also need to be regularly recorded,” Sri added. Another crucial aspect is the preparation of food ingredients, from washing vegetables and fruits, peeling, cutting, mixing, preparing, all the way to delivery; everything must be in a clean state. The cleanliness of food containers (ompreng) cannot be overlooked, as they can become contaminated if not properly washed according to standards.

Third, human resources must be trained and consistently follow instructions. He understands that SPPG personnel have received food safety training and obtained certificates. “But, after attending the training, do they truly possess the skills, knowledge, and competence to handle, process, and store food safely?” He referenced the numerous food poisoning incidents reported in various schools since the MBG program’s inception. “Later, BGN urged, ‘Please use SLHS for certification.’ For those already operating, ‘Please obtain SLHS as quickly as possible.’ This is a risky situation. Ideally, everything should be in place first, then apply for certification. During inspection, if issues are found, they should be corrected immediately until compliance is met before a certificate is issued and operations are permitted.” He described this approach as a trial period. During a trial period, services are not immediately scaled to thousands of portions, allowing various problems to be identified and corrected, ensuring safe operations when large portions are served.

Discussing SLHS, Sri emphasized its inseparable link to IPAL, or wastewater treatment. The inspection of these wastewater treatment installations, he stated, should not be merely a physical formality. “Just looking and thinking, ‘Oh, there’s a liquid waste disposal channel, there’s a unit for filtering.’ If it’s as simple as that, and initially the main thing is just that it exists, then the certificate is issued so they can operate. It’s not surprising if many problems emerge after operations begin,” Sri remarked. He considers waste management to be critically impactful on food safety. Especially for kitchens processing large quantities of food daily, significant amounts of liquid waste are generated from various preparation and post-serving processes. If the waste channel management is improper, there’s a potential for clean water to be contaminated by wastewater because it’s not properly drained. “For instance, if liquid waste management isn’t good, some of that waste might not all flow out to disposal but remains stagnant, and if cleaned, it could reverse and mix [with clean water].” This also relates to other sanitation facilities like washing areas and toilets. Therefore, IPAL cannot be assessed solely by the presence of its physical infrastructure.

Responding to this, BGN Special Staff Redy Hendra Gunawan stated that SLHS can only be issued if a good IPAL is in place. Regarding SPPGs that still lack adequate IPAL, Redy explained that this primarily applies to kitchens established in the first semester of 2025. “Some might have insufficient IPAL capacity, and we’ve asked them to improve. But so far, the majority already have them; it’s just the capacity that might be lacking, and that’s what we are currently addressing. We are giving them one to two weeks for IPAL improvements.”

Is SLHS alone sufficient?

Diah Saminarsih, Founder and CEO of CISDI, believes the government also needs to consider oversight mechanisms for enforcing food safety standards in the MBG program in various regions, beyond just SLHS. One approach, she suggested, is to ensure the involvement of local Health Departments, particularly their environmental health units, in conducting routine monitoring and SLHS enforcement at the SPPG level. This process wouldn’t need to be daily. “The mechanism could be, for example, once a month, where SPPGs collect and submit their daily monitoring checklists for 30 days to the Health Department,” Diah proposed. Additionally, Health Departments could conduct periodic field inspections at various SPPGs operating in their areas. To minimize recurring food poisoning incidents, the results of routine monitoring by Health Departments should serve as the primary reference for evaluating and improving program implementation. “Therefore, enforcing food safety standards cannot solely rely on internal BGN mechanisms. Cross-monitoring by local governments is essential. Consequently, there must be a budget allocated to Health Departments to perform these tasks optimally,” Diah asserted.

BGN Special Staff Redy Hendra Gunawan stated that strict supervision has been in place from the outset. Furthermore, the presence of Regional Task Forces is said to assist in oversight, in accordance with Presidential Regulation Number 115 of 2025 concerning the Governance of the Free Nutritious Meal Program. Although BGN and the Regional Task Forces have their respective timelines for supervision, they maintain coordination. “So, BGN has a special supervision deputy, local governments participate in supervision, and the community also participates. I believe this second year will be much better.”

This article was also contributed by Nanda Fahriza Batubara from Medan and Ahmad Mustofa from Madura.

• Waves of MBG protests in various regions – From food poisoning incidents to complaints about unsuitable menus
• One year of MBG: Hundreds of MBG partner foundations affiliated with close associates of officials
• Police manage over 1,000 SPPGs – What are the implications of law enforcement becoming program executors?

• More than 1,000 students in West Bandung allegedly poisoned by MBG – ‘My child had seizures, difficulty breathing’
• Why is media coverage of MBG often said to lead to self-censorship? – ‘When censorship is done by the media itself, it’s terrifying’
• MBG budget of Rp335 trillion challenged in Constitutional Court for ‘consuming’ one-third of education funds – How likely is it to be granted by judges?