Indonesia
Society
The government’s plan to put expiration date labels on free nutritious meal packages has drawn criticism that it could shift responsibility for food poisoning onto beneficiaries while leaving deeper food safety problems unaddressed.
Workers transport meal containers of the free nutritious meal program by cart on Tuesday to schools in Sangkurio, Mamuju, West Sulawesi. The West Sulawesi Regional Office of the Directorate General of Treasury (DJPb) said the province had allocated Rp220 trillion (US$13.7 million) in state funds for the program by mid-2026, reaching 375,922 beneficiaries and supported by 169 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) out of a target of 189. (Antara/Akbar Tado)
The government’s plan to put expiration dates on free nutritious meal packages has drawn criticism that it could shift responsibility for food poisoning onto beneficiaries while leaving deeper food safety problems unaddressed.The National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the flagship initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, said the measure would be implemented in the second week of August in an attempt to address reports of foodborne illnesses related to the program.
