Indonesia's BPOM expands food safety regulations and youth training initiative

Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) announced a nationwide drive to strengthen food safety. BPOM chief Taruna Ikrar highlighted WHO data that one in ten people suffer food‑borne illness and that 1.52 million deaths were linked to unsafe food last year. BPOM is promoting three new regulations, three decisions and 15 guidance manuals, and is revising the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (Makan Bergizi Gratis) program, which recorded 219 food‑poisoning outbreaks affecting 21,094 children in 2025. The agency expects the new rules to curb such incidents as the program expands to serve up to 80 million beneficiaries.

In parallel, BPOM's Surabaya office launched a training program for 100 scout (Pramuka) cadets to become food‑and‑drug safety educators. The SAKA POM 2026 course, opened by BPOM regional head Yudi Noviandi, equips participants with skills to test, monitor and disseminate correct information on food and drug products. The initiative aims to extend BPOM’s outreach to schools, universities and local communities, building a broader culture of food safety across Indonesia.