TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Food poisoning mars second week of free meals rollout
Authorities are investigating food poisoning cases linked to the government's free meals program, with the presidential office saying the incidents will be an "important" point for the program's evaluation.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Meal packages are arranged for distribution to students of SDN 10 Palangka Raya state elementary school in Central Kalimantan on Jan. 16, 2025. The Central Kalimantan provincial administration has allocated Rp 70 billion (US$4.3 million) of its regional budget for the free meals program in the province. (Antara/Auliya Rahman)
D
ozens of cases of foodborne illness have been recorded among participating schools in multiple regions just two weeks into the launch of President Prabowo Subiantio’s free nutritious meal program for students.
On Thursday, 40 pupils of SDN Dukuh 03 state elementary school in Sukoharjo regency, Central Java, fell ill after eating preprepared lunches from a local caterer provided as part of the program. Each lunch comprised white rice, fried breaded chicken, stir-fried carrots and tofu, cut dragon fruit and a carton of milk.
Some of the children started vomiting, which prompted the teachers to contact the caterer and the local Puskesmas (community health center), where the sick students were taken for treatment.
All affected students have since been discharged from the health center.
Health workers at the Puskesmas determined that the caterer from the 0726 Sukoharjo Military Command (Kodim) had not cooked the chicken properly.
“When a dish is undercooked, it usually has a distinct smell or texture. But the children did not realize it until they got sick after eating it,” Puskesmas Sukoharjo head Kunari Mahanani said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Read also: Food quality, safety in spotlight as free meals rollout continues
