<![CDATA[The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) is a government policy aimed at improving the nutritional quality of students and supporting the development of Indonesian human resources. However, the implementation of this program faces various challenges, particularly following the emergence of food poisoning cases that went viral on TikTok. This phenomenon has given rise to diverse public responses that shape the dynamics of public sentiment towards the MBG program. This study aims to analyze the dynamics of public sentiment towards the Free Nutritious Meal Program in the TikTok digital space and examine its implications for the crisis of trust and legitimacy of public policy. This study is based on theories of public opinion, digital communication, public sentiment, and the concepts of trust and policy legitimacy in the social media era. The study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach and a constructivist paradigm. Data sources come from TikTok user comments on news posts about food poisoning cases in the MBG program uploaded by online media accounts. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, documentation and recording of comments relevant to the research focus. Data analysis used the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was tested through theory triangulation and source triangulation to increase the credibility of the research findings. The research findings show that negative sentiment dominates public discourse, characterized by criticism of food safety, food quality, and program oversight. Furthermore, TikTok's algorithm reinforces the reproduction of opinions through user interactions, thus shaping collective perceptions of the MBG program. The research findings also indicate that digital sentiment impacts public trust and the legitimacy of government policies. Therefore, the government needs to optimize transparent, responsive, and accountable public communication to maintain public trust in the MBG program]]>
