MBGuard: UI/UX Design of a Mobile Application for the Early Detection of Food Suitability for Consumption in the MBG Program

Abstract

This article examines the UI/UX design of a mobile application that helps Person-in-Charge (PIC) teachers detect, objectively and preventively, whether food served in Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meal Program (Makan Bergizi Gratis, MBG) is suitable for consumption. The problem addressed is the weak early detection of food suitability at the school level, as indicated by food poisoning incidents, while PIC teachers, as the last line of defense, still rely on subjective judgment without systematic tools. This study employed Practice-Based Research combined with the Design Thinking framework (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test). Data were collected through field observations at an affected school and interviews with MBG PIC teachers, an MBG Kitchen Head (a Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia, or SPPI, graduate), and a clinical nutrition specialist. The findings, namely detection parameters (visual appearance, aroma, texture, taste, and holding-time limit), were translated into the MBGuard prototype, which offers four features: AI-Based Hybrid Suitability Detection, Food Suitability Guide, History, and Report to the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi, SPPG). The mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 79 indicates that the prototype has good usability and is acceptable to MBG PIC teachers as a decision-support companion. This study did not test the accuracy of the food suitability recommendations generated by the application.