The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program is a major initiative by the Indonesian government to improve the nutritional quality of the nation’s children, particularly in schools and areas vulnerable to malnutrition. This program was initiated with the good intention of building a healthy, intelligent, and productive generation.
However, during its implementation, a series of mass poisoning incidents, kitchen fires, and disruptions to logistics distribution that occurred in various regions made the public begin to question the readiness of the monitoring, security, and risk protection systems.
As a professional insurance broker based in South Tangerang, L&G Insurance Broker sees this phenomenon not as a failure, but as an important momentum to strengthen the risk management system and insurance protection in national-scale social programs such as MBG.
Spike in Incidents Is a Warning Sign of Lack of Risk Protection
Data from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) shows that from January to September 2025, there were 70 food safety incidents involving more than 5,900 MBG beneficiaries across Indonesia.
Most cases were caused by contamination with dangerous bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, several MBG kitchens in Java and Sumatra experienced fires due to gas leaks and electrical short circuits.
As a result, the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs ordered the temporary closure of a number of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) for a thorough evaluation and investigation.
This step is certainly important, but according to L&G Insurance Broker, evaluations should not stop at technical aspects alone. A comprehensive risk management approach, including integration with insurance systems, is needed to ensure program sustainability is not compromised by financial or reputational losses.
Major Risks Lurking in the Implementation of the Free Nutritional Meal Program
Based on L&G Insurance Broker’s experience in handling various risks in the public sector, logistics, and food industries, there are at least five main risks that can threaten the smooth and successful implementation of MBG.
Fire Risk in the Kitchen Area
Daily, large-scale cooking activities increase the risk of gas leaks, electrical short circuits, or overheating of industrial kitchen equipment. The resulting losses include not only physical damage to buildings but also loss of food supplies and cooking equipment, as well as injuries and loss of life.
Risk Recommendations:
- Perform regular inspections of the gas and electrical systems at least once a month.
- Install gas leak detectors and automatic fire suppression systems.
- Use Fire Insurance or Property All Risks Insurance to protect kitchen assets from the risk of fire and other disasters.
Risk of Mass Poisoning Due to Food Contamination
Food poisoning is the most sensitive risk because it directly impacts the health of beneficiaries, especially schoolchildren. The main causes include contaminated water, spoiled food, or inadequate kitchen sanitation.
Risk Recommendations:
- Implement cleanliness SOPs and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) standards in every MBG kitchen.
- Conduct regular food safety and hygiene training for cooks and supervisors.
- Use Public Liability Insurance to protect organizers from potential legal claims resulting from health incidents.
Operational Risks of Distribution Vehicles
MBG’s food delivery vehicles operate daily to deliver food to schools and distribution centers. Risks such as accidents, theft, or machine breakdowns can disrupt smooth deliveries and delay children’s meals.
Risk Recommendations:
- Use vehicles with clean and well-maintained food transportation standards.
- Implement a routine vehicle and driver inspection schedule.
- Protect your fleet with Commercial Vehicle Insurance so that any losses can be covered by the insurance company.
Risk of Damage to Stock and Food Ingredients
Foods such as eggs, chicken, milk, and vegetables are highly perishable if the cold chain is not properly maintained. Damaged stocks not only cause financial losses but also have the potential to lead to mass food poisoning.
Risk Recommendations:
- Use a refrigerated warehouse with a controlled temperature system.
- Install digital sensors to monitor temperature and humidity.
- Protect the value of your goods with Perishable Goods Insurance.
Occupational Accident Risks for Employees and Volunteers
Kitchen employees and distribution volunteers face high occupational risks such as burns, falls, fatigue, or injuries when lifting heavy loads.
Risk Recommendations:
- Implement Occupational Safety and Health (K3) training consistently.
- Use work equipment that meets standards.
- Protect your entire workforce with Personal Accident Insurance and Workmen’s Compensation Insurance to ensure medical coverage and benefits.
The Importance of Insurance in the MBG Program
Social programs like MBG involve thousands of operational points, thousands of workers, and significant public funds. At this scale, any small incident could lead to systemic disruption if financial safeguards are not in place.
Insurance is an important mechanism because it is able to:
- Transferring financial risk to the insurer,
- Providing fast compensation through claims mechanism,
- Maintain program cash flow stability.
Thus, insurance is not merely an administrative complement, but rather the main foundation for the operational sustainability of a national-scale program such as MBG.
Insurance as a Pillar of Program Sustainability
From a sustainability perspective, insurance is a key safety measure against uncertainty. In the context of MBG, an insurance policy can act as a financial safety net in the event of a kitchen fire, mass poisoning, or a transportation accident.
For implementing agencies, insurance provides a sense of security in their work. For the government, the insurance system helps maintain program stability without having to drain emergency funds.
This approach also supports the principle of good governance, because all public funds are used in a measured and responsible manner.
The Important Role of Insurance Brokers in Supporting National Programs
This is where the role of an insurance broker like L&G Insurance Broker becomes crucial. Brokers are not only intermediaries between clients and insurance companies, but also strategic advisors in risk management.
In the context of the Free Nutritional Meal Program, insurance brokers have the following important roles:
1. Integrated Risk Analysis
Brokers help governments and program implementers identify every risk from the upstream to the downstream, from the kitchen to distribution to consumption in schools. This analysis serves as the basis for determining the appropriate form of protection.
2. Custom Policy Design
Brokers don’t sell general insurance products, but rather design policies tailored to your needs and budget. In MBG, each region may have different risk characteristics, necessitating flexible insurance solutions.
3. Claim Process Assistance
When an incident occurs, brokers play an active role in assisting clients in preparing documents, assessing losses, and expediting claims disbursement to ensure operations are not interrupted for too long.
4. Providing Risk Mitigation Recommendations
In addition to financial protection, brokers also provide risk recommendations based on field experience. This ensures that risks are not only covered but also managed and prevented.
5. Maintaining Transparency and Accountability
Transparency is crucial in national-scale projects. Brokers help ensure that every policy and claim is handled according to professional and accountable standards, without potential conflicts of interest.
With this approach, insurance brokers are not only commercial parties, but also strategic partners of the government in building a sustainable public protection system.
Real Impact Case Study Without Risk Protection
In August 2025, MBG’s kitchen in Central Java caught fire due to a gas leak. Losses totaled approximately Rp 250 million (approximately US$17,000) covering the building, cooking equipment, and food supplies. Due to the lack of insurance coverage, recovery was slow, and the kitchen was out of operation for two weeks.
In contrast, an MBG kitchen in another province that already had Property All Risks and Employee Insurance policies managed to recover its entire loss in just 10 business days. The claims process went smoothly thanks to the assistance of an experienced insurance broker.
This difference shows that risk management and insurance are not only a necessity, but a long-term investment for the sustainability of the program.
Why You Should Partner with L&G Insurance Broker
As an independent insurance broker with over a decade of experience, L&G Insurance Broker excels in handling complex risks in the logistics, public, and food industries.
We are ready to assist MBG organizers throughout Indonesia to:
- Developing MBG’s operational risk map
- Determine the type of insurance that best suits your needs and budget,
- Providing real data-based recommendations,
- Accompanying the claim process to completion without any obstacles.
With the principle of “Risk First, Insurance Second”, L&G helps clients understand the risks first before choosing the most appropriate insurance solution.
Conclusion
The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) is a noble government initiative to support the nutritional needs of the community, especially schoolchildren. However, numerous incidents, such as kitchen fires and mass poisonings, demonstrate that a program of this magnitude is inherently fraught with serious operational risks. Everything from kitchen hygiene and raw material quality to workplace safety requires a professional and measurable risk management system. Without appropriate preventative measures, similar incidents could recur, resulting in significant social, economic, and reputational impacts.
This is where the role of an insurance broker becomes crucial. Brokers not only help select an appropriate insurance policy but also provide specific risk management recommendations for potential hazards such as kitchen fires, food contamination, and workplace accidents. With a professional approach, brokers assist MBG managers and the government in comprehensive risk assessments, ensuring adequate protection for each vulnerable point, and minimizing losses should an incident occur.
Going forward, the success of the MBG program will be measured not only by the number of beneficiaries but also by the safety and sustainability of its implementation system. Collaboration between the government, food service providers, and insurance brokers will be key to creating a national nutrition program ecosystem that is not only nutritionally sound but also resilient to risk. This way, every rupiah invested in the nation’s nutrition is truly protected.
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HOTLINE L&G 24 JAM: 0811-8507-773(CALL – WHATSAPP – SMS)
Website: lngrisk.co.id
Email: halo@lngrisk.co.id
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Source:
- https://mediaindonesia.com/humaniora/815478/pemerintah-tutup-dapur-mbg-bermasalah-yang-sebabkan-keracunan?
- https://www.tempo.co/politik/bgn-sebut-mbg-sumbang-48-persen-kasus-keracunan-pangan-di-indonesia-2088821
- https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2025/02/18/10542661/dapur-program-mbg-di-pamulang-kebakaran-diduga-akibat-gas-bocor
- https://surabaya.kompas.com/read/2025/10/24/123149178/jalan-rusak-mobil-pengangkut-mbg-masuk-jurang-makanan-pun-berantakan
