Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Head of National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana revealed the reasons why the government could not complete the laboratory test for the allegedly poisonous free nutritious meals (MBG) that led to dozens of students in Cianjur suffering food poisoning.
According to Dadan Hindayana, the Kesda Laboratory in West Java province had difficulty taking samples because there was no leftover food. All the utensils used to serve the nutritious meals had been cleaned.
"Because the leftover food that allegedly caused the poisoning has been cleaned by the school. So, we cannot take the samples," he said when met at the Asrama Haji I Pondok Gede Building, Jakarta, on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Reflecting on this case, Dadan stated that his institution would prohibit all providers of free nutritious meals from cleaning the leftover food given to students. In the future, he said, based on the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), all leftover food must be returned to the Unit of Nutrition Fulfillment Services (SPPG) kitchen.
"Because for the lab test, we need to compare the food samples in the kitchen with those already delivered to the school," he said.
Previously, dozens of students from SMP PGRI Cianjur were treated at the Public Regional Hospital of Sayang Cianjur due to suspected food poisoning from free nutritious meals on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Before that, 52 students from MAN 1 Cianjur also suffered poisoning after consuming MBG.
Based on information, the free nutritious meals for SMP PGRI Cianjur came from SPPG Limbangansari, the same as the meals for MAN 1 Cianjur.
The management of the Khasanah Ibu Bahagia Foundation that oversees SPPG Limbangansari, Ridwan Abdullah, confirmed that the MBG for SMP PGRI Cianjur and MAN 1 Cianjur was supplied from the same communal kitchen. According to Ridwan, production is currently temporarily halted for all school supplies.
"Yes, food production for all schools supplied from SPPG Limbangansari has been temporarily halted. We are still waiting for the test results from the Health Laboratory of Cianjur District," said Ridwan when contacted by Tempo on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
– Deden Abdul Aziz contributed to the writing of this article