Key facts
- Nearly 800 Indonesians have fallen ill in separate food poisoning incidents linked to the government's free meals program.
- Over 500 students in East Java were hospitalized this week.
- A lawmaker cited health department data showing incidents in Sidoarjo, Nganjuk, and Agam.
- The National Nutrition Agency suspended a kitchen linked to the Sidoarjo case.
- A watchdog reported 37,600 individuals affected by food poisoning linked to the scheme as of August 8.
Nearly 800 Indonesians have fallen ill in separate incidents of food poisoning linked to the government's free meals program, according to a lawmaker. The incidents include over 500 students in East Java who were hospitalized this week. President Prabowo Subianto launched the multibillion-dollar program last year to eradicate under-nutrition by providing free meals to millions of children.
Lawmaker Charles Honoris cited local health department data indicating that in addition to the 512 students in Sidoarjo, East Java, 49 people fell ill in Nganjuk, East Java, and 237 in Agam, West Sumatra. Honoris stated these were not isolated incidents and represented a "failure of the system."
The National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the program, did not immediately respond to a request for comment but suspended the kitchen linked to the Sidoarjo case. A non-governmental watchdog, Network for Education Watch, reported that 37,600 individuals had been affected by food poisoning linked to the scheme as of August 8. Authorities have previously attributed such incidents to improper food storage and late delivery of cooked meals. A July survey indicated low public satisfaction with the scheme, largely due to reported poisoning cases.