More than 800 students in Indonesia suffered food poisoning this week after eating free school meals distributed under President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship nutrition program, officials confirmed Friday.
The largest outbreak occurred in West Java’s Garut region, where 569 students from five schools developed nausea and vomiting after consuming chicken and rice on Wednesday. Thirty children were hospitalized, while most others were treated at home. Ten remain under care, officials said, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
In a separate case in Central Sulawesi’s Banggai Islands, 277 students also fell sick from meals provided under the same initiative, according to the National Nutrition Agency. Distribution in the area has been temporarily suspended.
Launched in January, the government program has already seen over 4,000 children affected by food poisoning up to August, raising concerns over food safety and oversight. Despite the setbacks, officials said the initiative will continue, with a temporary shift to simpler meals such as bread, milk, eggs, and fruit.
Government spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi issued an apology, calling the recurring incidents “not what we had hoped for or intentional.”
The free meal program, which currently reaches 20 million recipients, is set to expand to 83 million by year’s end with a budget of 171 trillion rupiah ($10.3 billion) — expected to double next year.
