Ministry of Hajj Mandates Catering Sample Testing Before Distribution to Hajj Pilgrims
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, through the Saudi Arabian Hajj Pilgrimage Organizing Officers (PPIH), has implemented a strict standard operational procedure that requires sample testing of food from all catering companies before it is distributed to Indonesian prospective Hajj pilgrims. This mitigation step has been intensified in anticipation of the arrival of the first 12 groups of pilgrims from Medina to Mecca on Thursday (4/30/2026). The Head of the Mecca Working Area for the Saudi Arabian PPIH, Ihsan Faisal, stated that daily checks are carried out by the PPIH Consumption Section, focusing on taste quality, doneness, and hygiene.
Ihsan affirmed that this strict filter is proof of the government's seriousness in protecting the health of the pilgrims. One facility that passed inspection is the kitchen of Ahla Zad Company in Misfalah Sector 7, with a production capacity of 6,150 portions per cooking cycle for distribution three times a day. Indonesian archipelago menus are prepared with nutritional portions calculated by nutrition experts to support the pilgrims' physical endurance.
Ihsan appealed to pilgrims and their families back home not to worry or bring raw foodstuffs like rice. "The basic ingredients here are complete and cooked, you just need to eat. Pilgrims are asked to rest and focus their energy on worship," he said.
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