September 10, 2025 | 06:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has expressed its support for the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program, but has urged a guarantee of halal standards for all food products and equipment used. MUI has requested that the program be temporarily suspended if it is found to be using imported food trays or containers made with non-halal ingredients.
This statement was made during a focus group discussion (FGD) held by MUI in Jakarta on August 29, 2025. The forum was attended by representatives from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH), the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the National Standardization Agency (BSN), and various business associations.
During the discussion, participants were shown documents and videos that provided evidence of the production process for imported food containers from Chaoshan, China, which uses lard. According to MUI, this finding does not comply with halal standards.
"If it is proven that non-halal ingredients are used in the MBG program, there must be a mechanism to prevent the circulation of such products, including temporarily suspending the MBG program until its halal status is confirmed," stated an official statement from the MUI's Leadership Council, signed by Chairman M. Anwar Iskandar and Secretary General Amirsyah Tambunan on Monday, September 8, 2025.
MUI also recommended several measures, including ensuring that halal standards are implemented across the entire MBG supply chain, strengthening coordination between government ministries, and preventing potential public outcry by rigorously addressing halal issues.
BSN and BPOM also emphasized the importance of thayyib (wholesomeness) as well as the safety of the food and equipment used in the program.
The MBG program is one of the government's priority initiatives to improve human resource development on the path toward Golden Indonesia 2045. However, MUI stressed that the program’s success must include a guarantee of halal compliance to truly protect the community.
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