Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) issued a tearful apology Friday after nearly 6,000 schoolchildren fell ill from food served under the government's flagship Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
Deputy BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang broke down in tears during a press conference in Jakarta, saying she was devastated by the widespread cases of food poisoning.
"From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize on behalf of BGN and all local nutrition service units across Indonesia," Nanik said. "As a mother, seeing those videos of sick children breaks my heart."
Nanik admitted the outbreak was caused by negligence within the agency, citing weak oversight of the program. She stressed, however, that the incident was not deliberate.
"If I admit it was negligence, then it means we failed in supervision," she said. "But this was not deliberate, and I don't want to blame anyone else."
According to BGN data as of Sept. 25, at least 70 separate poisoning incidents have been reported, affecting 5,914 people across three administrative regions. Region I recorded nine cases with 1,307 victims, Region II reported 3,610 cases, and Region III documented 20 cases with 997 affected.
While some children were confirmed to have consumed contaminated food, Nanik said others may have fallen ill due to allergic reactions or unrelated health issues. Still, she promised that BGN would take full responsibility, including covering all medical expenses.
"This is not just about numbers; these are lives," Nanik said. "We will ensure this never happens again."
Despite the public outcry, the Indonesian government said it will continue the MBG program, which it sees as critical to combating malnutrition and boosting food security. Chief Community Empowerment Minister Muhaimin "Cak Imin" Iskandar dismissed the idea of suspending the initiative.
"There is no plan for suspension. I haven't heard of any," Muhaimin told reporters on Thursday.
Launched earlier this year, the program has already disbursed Rp 13 trillion ($800 million), reaching 22.7 million beneficiaries. Authorities expect to cover 82.9 million Indonesians by the end of 2025.