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On several occasions, KFI has provided feedback and input for the nutritious meal program that will be implemented starting in 2025. On July 29, 2024, Institute for Development of Economics & Finance organized Economist Gathering: The Urgency of Investing in Children during Prabowo Presidency. The Director of KFI, Mrs. Dra. Nina Sardjunani, MA was invited to give a presentation entitled "How the Free Meals Program as an Investment in Human Resources can Work". Ms. Nina conveyed 5 main points, namely (1) Nutrition Problems as a Challenge to National Human Resources Development; (2) Portrait of Food Consumption: Low Intake of Micronutrients; (3) Direction of Indonesian Human Resource Development; (4) Supplementary Feeding Program and its Achievement Indicators; (5) KFI Recommendations for Nutritious Feeding Program.
In her presentation, Mrs. Nina said that Indonesia is currently facing the Triple Burden of Malnutrition where the problems of undernutrition, overnutrition, and lack of micronutrients need to be a concern because they have an impact on public health and ultimately development in general. This is supported by data from SKI 2023 and GAIN-Kemenkes 2023 where it is mentioned that the proportion of people with inadequate intake of micronutrients is high, including 36.18% insufficient Fe; around 50% insufficient vit A, vit B1, B3, and vit B12; 70-80% insufficient Zn, Ca, vit C, vit B2; and the highest 96% of the population is insufficient folate intake. Thus, Mrs. Nina said that the nutritious meal program can be an opportunity to improve community nutrition, especially the intake of essential micronutrients, by ensuring that the food provided is diverse and nutritious. In addition, KFI recommends integrating wahib fortified food commodities into this program. The reason is that fortified foods increase the intake of essential micronutrients such as palm cooking oil (vitamin A), wheat flour (iron, vitamin B, and zinc), and iodized salt. Food fortification has also been proven to be the most cost-effective intervention in tackling micronutrient problems. The mandatory food fortification program will also reach a wider community by being integrated into the nutritious eating program.
Second, KFI recommends that the supplementary feeding program be integrated with Complementary Intervention, such as food fortification, nutritional supplementation, and food environment policies, and third, that the program also be followed by health promotion and nutrition education such as balanced nutritious food selection and food safety. Finally, the nutritious meal program needs to prioritize the use of local food production so that it can have an impact on the local economy.
On another occasion, KFI's Co-Director, Prof. Drajat Martianto, MSi was the team leader of the consultant team for the preparation of the Program Design, General Guidelines, and Operational Guidelines for the Free Nutritious Meal Program prepared by the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas together with UNICEF with the support of the Ministry of Health and PERSAGI. The team consisted of 5 experts who developed the management and governance design; program financing; nutrition standards and menu guidelines; food safety, security, and waste management; and monitoring and evaluation system. These General and Operational Guidelines are submitted to the National Nutrition Agency and are expected to be used as a reference for nutritious feeding activities that are part of efforts to achieve national nutrition fulfillment.
This guideline covers organizational structure and governance at the central level to operations in food production units, operational standards for food production that take into account the principles of efficiency and food safety, program support instruments, program financing standards for each target group, nutrition standards and menu guidelines based on general principles of nutritious feeding according to age and physiological conditions of the target, procedures to ensure food safety, and program monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
