Two separate food poisoning outbreaks affected more than 800 students across Indonesia this week, highlighting ongoing challenges with the country’s ambitious free school meal initiative. The incidents represent the latest in a series of health concerns that have plagued the program since its inception.
The larger outbreak occurred in West Java province’s Garut region, where 569 students from five schools experienced nausea and vomiting after consuming chicken and rice meals provided by a government-sponsored kitchen. The symptoms appeared on Wednesday, one day after the meals were served. According to a local government official, approximately 30 students required hospitalization initially, while others received treatment at home. As of Friday, ten students remained hospitalized, though the majority had recovered.
In response to the incident, local authorities announced plans to increase surveillance of the meal preparation facility while maintaining the program’s operations. However, the menu will be simplified temporarily, with students receiving more basic food items including bread, milk, boiled eggs, and fruit rather than prepared hot meals.
A second outbreak struck the Banggai Islands in Central Sulawesi province on the same day, affecting 277 students. The National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the nationwide program, confirmed the incident and announced a temporary suspension of meal distribution in that area while investigations continue.
Earlier this month, another mass food poisoning incident affected approximately 427 students participating in the government-sponsored program.
These recent cases add to mounting concerns about the program’s safety protocols and oversight mechanisms. Data from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance, an Indonesian think tank, indicates that over 4,000 children have experienced food poisoning from the school meals between the program’s January launch and August.
The free meal initiative represents one of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship policies, designed to address childhood nutrition across the archipelago nation. The program has expanded rapidly since its launch, currently serving more than 20 million recipients. Authorities have set an ambitious target of reaching 83 million beneficiaries by the end of the year, supported by a budget allocation of 171 trillion rupiah, equivalent to approximately $10.32 billion. Plans call for doubling this budget in the following year.
A presidential spokesperson acknowledged the incidents on Friday, stating that the government apologized for the recurring cases across multiple regions, describing them as neither hoped for nor intentional outcomes.
The scale and rapid expansion of the program have raised questions among observers about the adequacy of quality control measures and oversight capacity. With such an extensive distribution network spanning Indonesia’s thousands of islands and diverse communities, ensuring consistent food safety standards presents significant logistical and administrative challenges for program managers and government officials.
