Prof. Dr. drg. Ririn Arminsih Wulandari, M.Kes., was inaugurated as a Permanent Professor in Environmental Health Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Universitas Indonesia (UI), on Saturday, November 16, at Balai Sidang, UI Depok Campus. At the inauguration led by UI Rector, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D, she delivered her inaugural speech titled “Higiene dan Sanitasi Makanan sebagai Pilar Keamanan Makanan Nasional: Peran Strategis Tenaga Kesehatan Lingkungan” (Food Hygiene and Sanitation as Pillars of National Food Safety: The Strategic Role of Environmental Health Workers).
Prof. Ririn said that it is urgent to consider food quality and safety so that food is beneficial and does not pose a health risk. Food hygiene and sanitation must be the foundation for the catering industry, restaurants, cafes, canteens, and so on to produce food products that are safe to consume. This is very relevant to the implementation of Persyaratan Kesehatan Pangan Olahan Siap Saji (Health Requirements for Ready-to-Eat Processed Foods) regulated in Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Nomor 2 Tahun 2023 (Regulation of the Minister of Health Number 2 of 2023), which refers to Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 66 Tahun 2014 (Government Regulation Number 66 of 2014) concerning environmental health.
Food sanitation, which includes cleanliness and health in the process of serving, distributing, and storing food, is an important factor in realizing food safety. The health requirements for ready-to-eat processed food not only cover aspects of buildings, equipment used, and food handlers, but also pay attention to the risk factors of each type of Food Processing Place (TPP).
Strict hygiene standards are expected to reduce the potential for contamination and diseases that can be transmitted through food. “It is important for every ready-to-eat food processing business to comply with these regulations, to ensure that every food produced is not only nutritious but also safe for consumption,” said Prof. Ririn.
She further explained that policy reforms in the field of food sanitation aim to improve the quality of public health, strengthen food and nutritional security, and support the national economy. Uncontrolled food incidents can develop into international emergencies, given the high volume of food distribution between countries.
The government, through the Ministry of Health, is trying to build an effective food safety system, one of which is by strengthening the role of environmental health workers. The existence of competent and trained environmental health workers in the regions is very important in controlling the implementation of food hygiene and sanitation standards, as well as in food safety management systems such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
Seeing the importance of this, Prof. Ririn said that empowering environmental health students is one solution that can be done. In addition to providing benefits to the students concerned, their involvement in the TPP assessment will also greatly assist the Health Office in increasing the number of TPPs that meet the requirements of Sanitation, Environment, Hygiene, and Sanitation. This program can be one step toward overcoming the shortage of environmental health workers in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the implementation of food health policies is also in line with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the aspects of food safety, environmental protection, and ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sustainable food. Environmental health workers, both professionals and students, have a great opportunity to play an active role in optimizing the supervision and implementation of better food hygiene and sanitation in Indonesia.
Integration of Food Sanitation in the Government Program “Makan Bergizi Gratis” (Free Nutritious Meals)
The safety of processed ready-to-eat food is also part of the government program that is very relevant to efforts to improve the quality of life of the Indonesian people, especially in overcoming the problem of stunting. The “Makan Bergizi Gratis” (Free Nutritious Meals) program initiated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, together with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, aims to improve the quality of Indonesian human resources targeting 83 million people from early childhood to young adults and pregnant women.
This program involves various ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Health, the National Food Agency, the Ministry of Religion, the TNI, and other related institutions. One of the supports provided by the Ministry of Health is to ensure that the food provided in the program is not only nutritious but also safe for consumption. This is a big challenge, considering the existence of 3T (Disadvantaged, Frontier, Outermost) areas that are priority beneficiaries.
In this context, Prof. Ririn said that environmental health workers play a very important role in ensuring that every food provided through this program is safe, hygienic, suitable for consumption, and free from contamination. Therefore, supervision of food hygiene and sanitation standards is an integral part of the success of this program.
“With synergy between the government, business actors, environmental health workers, and the community, it is hoped that Indonesia can achieve food security that is not only sufficient but also safe, nutritious, and sustainable for all levels of society,” said Prof. Ririn. Also present at the inauguration procession was a professor of FMIPA UI, Prof. Dr. Djarwani Soeharso Soejoko, MS., and a professor of FKM Universitas Airlangga, Prof. Dr. drh. Ririh Yudastui, M.Sc.
Until now, Prof. Ririn has been actively conducting various studies and has published in various national and international journals. Some of them are titled Investigations on the risk factors of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) among under-five children in Depok City, Indonesia (2024); Analysis of Climate and Environmental Risk Factors on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Incidence in Bogor District (2024); and Root Cause Analysis: Solid Waste Management (Case Study on Market) (2023).
Prof. Riri is the 33rd UI professor who was inaugurated in 2024. Before being inaugurated as a professor, Prof. Riri underwent undergraduate to doctoral education at UI. In 1979, she completed her education at the Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) UI. Then, she completed her master’s program at FKM UI in 1990. At the same faculty, she successfully obtained a Doctorate in Epidemiology in 2004.
