NutriScan QR Code Improves Student Complaint Responsiveness in Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meal Program
FORMOSA NEWS – A digital innovation called NutriScan QR Code has been proven effective in improving student responsiveness in reporting complaints about meal quality under Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meal Program (Makan Bergizi Gratis/MBG). The finding comes from a study conducted by Ii Rahayu, S.Pd., M.Pd., Suci Yunda Nurhalimah, and Wulan Maulida from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) and published in the International Journal of Advanced Technology and Social Sciences (IJATSS) in 2026. The research highlights how digital technology can strengthen feedback mechanisms in school nutrition programs. As Indonesia continues expanding the MBG initiative nationwide, ensuring food quality and providing an effective complaint system have become increasingly important. The study found that the QR Code–based NutriScan platform significantly improved students’ ability to report issues related to meal quality while increasing satisfaction with the complaint process.
Food Quality Complaints Remain a Challenge
Indonesia officially launched the Free Nutritious Meal Program in January 2025 to improve the nutritional status of students, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young children. The initiative aims to address major nutrition-related challenges while promoting healthier eating habits among beneficiaries. Despite these goals, implementation has faced several obstacles. Reports from different regions revealed incidents involving poor food quality, including meals with unpleasant odors, undercooked food, and moldy bread distributed in schools. Such cases have raised concerns about food safety and quality control within the program. According to the researchers, one of the major challenges is the lack of a structured and efficient complaint-reporting system. In many schools, students still rely on manual reporting methods, such as writing complaints on paper and placing them inside meal containers. These methods often result in poor documentation and delayed responses from program administrators. The researchers observed similar conditions at a senior high school in Bandung Regency, where complaint handling was largely informal and difficult to monitor. This situation limits the ability of schools and meal providers to identify problems early and take corrective action promptly.
A Digital Solution Through QR Technology
To address this issue, the research team developed NutriScan, a digital complaint platform that uses QR Code technology to simplify the reporting process. Students can scan a QR Code using their smartphones and immediately access a digital complaint form. Through the platform, they can submit feedback, evaluations, and complaints regarding the quality of meals provided through the MBG program. Once submitted, reports are automatically stored within the system and can be reviewed by school administrators and program managers. This allows feedback to be collected in real time, making it easier to monitor trends and respond quickly to emerging issues. The researchers argue that QR Code technology offers significant advantages over traditional complaint mechanisms because it is simple, accessible, and familiar to most students.
Study Involved High School Students
The effectiveness of NutriScan was tested using a quantitative pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest–posttest approach. The study involved high school students in grades 10 to 12 who were beneficiaries of the Free Nutritious Meal Program. A total of 59 students participated in the pretest stage before the implementation of NutriScan, while 46 students completed the posttest after the system had been introduced. Students were asked to evaluate several aspects of the complaint system, including:
-Frequency of complaint submission
-Ease of reporting complaints
-Response speed
-Clarity of information
-Overall student satisfaction
The researchers then compared the results before and after implementation using statistical analysis.
Significant Improvements Across All Indicators
The findings revealed improvements in every measured indicator following the introduction of NutriScan. Before implementation, the average score for ease of complaint submission was 2.76. After the system was introduced, the score increased to 3.23. Response speed also improved, rising from 2.73 to 3.28. Student satisfaction increased from 2.97 to 3.09, while complaint frequency and system clarity also showed positive growth. Statistical testing produced a significance value of 0.010, which is below the accepted threshold of 0.05. This result confirms a statistically significant difference between student responses before and after using NutriScan. The researchers concluded that the QR Code–based platform effectively enhanced the efficiency, accessibility, and responsiveness of complaint management related to MBG meal quality.
Encouraging Transparency and Student Participation
Beyond improving reporting efficiency, the study demonstrates how digital technology can strengthen student participation in monitoring school nutrition services. According to Ii Rahayu and her colleagues, NutriScan helps reduce psychological barriers that often discourage students from voicing concerns. The platform enables complaints to be submitted quickly, flexibly, and with a greater sense of privacy. The researchers noted that digital feedback systems can foster a culture of open communication between students and program administrators. By making complaint submission easier, schools can receive more accurate and timely information regarding food quality issues. This increased transparency can support continuous improvements in meal services while helping schools identify potential risks before they become larger problems.
Potential for Wider Adoption
The success of NutriScan suggests that similar digital feedback systems could be implemented in schools across Indonesia and in other public service sectors. As governments and educational institutions continue embracing digital transformation, QR Code–based reporting systems offer a low-cost and scalable solution for collecting user feedback. The researchers believe that wider adoption of NutriScan or similar platforms could strengthen accountability, improve service quality, and support evidence-based decision-making within public nutrition programs. For the MBG initiative, such innovations may help ensure that nutritious meals not only meet nutritional standards but also meet students’ expectations for quality and safety.
Author Profile
Ii Rahayu, S.Pd., M.Pd. is an academic and researcher at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) whose work focuses on educational technology, digital innovation, and technology-based service development in educational settings. The study was conducted in collaboration with Suci Yunda Nurhalimah and Wulan Maulida, both affiliated with Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, with research interests in education, digital technology, and service quality improvement for students.
Research Source
Article Title: NutriScan QR-Code in Improving Student Complaint Responsiveness Toward the Quality of the MBG Meal Program
Authors: Ii Rahayu, Suci Yunda Nurhalimah, Wulan Maulida
Journal: International Journal of Advanced Technology and Social Sciences (IJATSS)
Volume and Issue: Vol. 4, No. 5
Year: 2026
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