Chairman of BGN: Indonesia Needs Food Technology Innovation to Support MBG
Indonesia needs food technology innovation that can guarantee the safety, quality, and sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program for millions of school children. One such innovation is freeze drying.
This need was the main focus of the 2025 National Seminar and Meeting of the Indonesian Higher Education-Agricultural Technology Communication Forum (FKPT-TPI) held at the Abdul Muis Nasution Auditorium, IPB Dramaga Campus (11/18).
Both the Chairman of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dr Dadan Hindayana, and the Chairman of the IPB University’s International Food, Nutrition and Health Research Institute (LRI-PGK), Prof Drajat Martianto, agreed that the contribution of food technology, research, and innovation from universities is crucial to the success of MBG.
“Indonesia needs freeze-dried technology from food technology experts so that this program can run strongly and sustainably,” said Dr Dadan. Freeze-dried technology is considered important to ensure that food remains fresh, hygienic, and easy to distribute on a large scale.
Dr Dadan emphasized that the challenges of the MBG are not only related to distribution, but also to the provision of quality food that is safe for daily consumption.
“We need technology where food is cooked fresh, is of high quality, is hygienic, but can last until the next day. Therefore, I hope that freeze drying technology can be developed more widely,” he said. This technology, he continued, has the potential to maintain food quality without reducing its nutritional content.
Dr Dadan explained the large food requirements for one Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG). “For 3.000 children, one month can require 5 tons of rice, equivalent to 10 tons of dry milled grain per month,” he said.
The demand for other commodities such as eggs, chicken, and fruit is also very high. “For eggs alone, 3.000 children need at least 200 kg per meal. If they eat twice a week, the requirement can reach 1,6 tons of eggs per month,” he explained.
He believes that Indonesia can no longer rely on conventional production. According to him, the presence of MBG brings a new approach because food production and purchasing are guaranteed by the government.
“So far, we have been talking about production, production, production. But purchasing has never been guaranteed. In MBG, the government guarantees both production and purchasing. This is something that has never happened before,” said Dr Dadan.
The Chairman of LRI-PGK IPB University, Prof Drajat Martianto, also considered that strengthening SPPG, large kitchen innovations, as well as storage and processing technologies, are important to ensure that food is safe for consumption.
Innovation is also needed to reduce high plate waste among early childhood.
He also explained the triple burden of malnutrition as a national nutrition problem that must be solved through MBG. In addition, hidden hunger is also a major issue because it is not visible to the naked eye, but it has an impact on children’s immunity and development.
Prof emphasized that interventions should not only focus on the first 1.000 days of life. “We don’t want to miss the growth period in school age and adolescence. Children with stunting will have a high risk of non-communicable diseases in adulthood,” he said. (Fj) (IAAS/LAN)
