Zero Hunger Eyes to Improve Street Food Quality

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Government agencies led by the Ministry of Agriculture, the United Nations (UN), musicians, youth communities and street food vendors have declared their commitment to a healthier Indonesia while conducting a “Healthy Street Food” Festival at Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, as a final event to cap the celebration of World Food Day 2019 in Indonesia.

"We must ensure that not only is the amount of food available, but it is also safe and contains enough nutrients that the body can use to carry out its daily functions," said the head of the Food Security Agency, Agung Hendriadi, in the opening of the event. 

The theme of the World Food Day is “Our actions are our future. Healthy diets. For a #zerohunger world”. 

Agung further explained that in a bid to carry out the mandate of the Food Law, the Ministry of Agriculture did not only step up food production, but also controled and supervised fresh food from plant and animal origin to ensure food quality and safety. 

Children and youngsters, especially in urban areas, have easy access to prepared foods and beverages on the street, which are usually cheap and widely available. However, the young generation is mostly unaware of the quality of the foods offered on the street. 

This is a direct cause of less time spent preparing meals at home, and consumers, especially in urban areas, rely more and more on fast food outlets, street food vendors, take-away restaurants, and supermarkets. 

According to a 2013 survey by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NDAFC), almost 99% of school-aged children commonly buy street foods from around their schools. Street foods contribute 31% of the energy and 27% of the protein to their recommended daily intake, and 15-20% of their daily nutrient requirement.

TEMPO