Country: Indonesia

School/ organization: Citra Alam Senior High School

Delegation leader/ teacher: Ary Okta

Students: Satriani Rahmadita

Partner organization: Jaringan Sekolah Alam Nusantara (JSAN)

Project title: ‘Food Monster’ A Waste Art Installation For An Interesting and Creative Campaign about Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)’s Harmful Effect on Children’s Health.

Consumption of snacks containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) among children always Increasing everyday, with the cheap price, joyfull taste, and colorful packaging the temptation are to many for children to resist. They consume all MSG based product starting from factory processed foods, potato chips and fast food.

The impact of excessive consumption of MSG for children is no longer a concern. Age of children or growth period more sensitive to MSG effects than adults. Since 2006 the year that bad symptoms are popped up. Such as can trigger allergic reactions such us itching, red spots on skin, complaints of nausea, vomiting, headache and migrain. It called “MSG complex syndrome”.

Severals survey conducted that twenty five percent from population are sensitive with msg.

With these conditions,

I feel have to do a campaign movement on the hazard of MSG and invite to re-consume healthy food. Nowadays it is very rare for school children to bring food from home, because parents are too busy to prepare.The MSG food product packaging usually made from plastic, and it become garbage.According to DKI Jakarta cleanliness agency, Jakarta every day produces more or less seven thousand ton garbage from settlements, offices and rivers, and of course including MSG food packaging.