The Excitement of the MBG Food Festival, Enthusiasm for Presenting Nutritious, Hygienic, and Innovative Menus
The MBG (Free Nutritious Meals) Food Festival was held as part of the IPB Alumni Homecoming Festival (PRA IPK) 2025, Saturday (12/20). This event serves as both an appreciation and a competition for the Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) in presenting MBG menus that are nutritious, innovative, hygienic, and safe for schoolchildren to consume.
Promoting the spirit of food security, the MBG Feast Festival featured three competitions, namely the Ompreng Washing Competition, the Raw Material Preparation Competition, and the MBG Set Menu Innovation Cooking Competition. A total of 22 SPPG teams from the Bogor area took part in this series of activities.
In the cooking competition, each participant was required to serve two portions of the menu, one for display and one for judging. With a maximum budget of Rp10.000 per portion, participants were challenged to prepare a nutritionally balanced menu. The animal protein ingredient was determined by lottery on the day of the competition, with a choice of fish or chicken.
Susanto, President of the Indonesian Chef Association (ICA), emphasized that MBG food presents its own challenges. “MBG food is unique. It must not only be tasty and nutritious but also safe, non-perishable, and produced in large quantities. MBG must always be fresh,” he stated.
The competition assessment includes preparation of ingredients, cooking techniques, creativity in presentation, final results, and nutritional content, with hygiene and cleanliness as the main aspects.
The MBG Pesta Pora Festival was held for three days. On the first day, SPPG Ciwaringin won first place, followed by SPPG Nanggawer Mekar and SPPG Sindang Sari. On the second day, the jury awarded SPPG Pasir Mulya first place, followed by SPPG Jambu Leutik and SPPG Laladon 2. On the third day, SPPG Rangga Mekar won first place, followed by SPPG Sindangrasa and SPPG Ciwaringin.
This program was held in collaboration with the IPB University Alumni Association (HA) and PT Alumni Bisnis Cendekia.
“Hopefully, this activity can motivate SPPGs to continue innovating so that MBG menus remain nutritious, varied, and appealing to children,” said Rinrin Jamrianti, STP, MESy, Director of PT Alumni Bisnis Cendekia.
Abi Azka, a representative from SPPG Cibinong, added that with a budget of Rp10.000 per portion, the MBG menu can still meet nutritional needs optimally through proper ingredient selection and processing methods.
Through this initiative, IPB University and its alumni aim to promote nutritious food innovation, strengthen food security, and enhance the quality of MBG services for future generations. (Am) (IAAS/NRA)
