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View all search results1,000 students fall ill after consuming free meals
Since its launch, the program has been plagued by a series of food safety incidents, with more than 15,000 students reported to have suffered food poisoning between January and November last year.
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Health workers evacuate students suspected of food poisoning on Oct. 14, 2025, after eating free nutritious meals at SMP 1 Cisarua state junior high school in West Bandung regency, West Java. According to school officials, 54 students reportedly fell ill after consuming the meals served that morning. (Antara/Abdan Syakura)
S
ome 1,000 students in Central and East Java have fallen ill in recent days after consuming packaged meals distributed under the government’s free nutritious meal program, renewing concerns over persistent food safety issues that have plagued the initiative since its launch last year.
In Gubug district, Grobogan regency, Central Java, 658 students from several schools and Islamic boarding schools reported symptoms including nausea and vomiting on Friday after eating a meal of yellow rice, beef floss and stir-fried tempeh prepared by a local Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG).
The affected students ranged from kindergarten to senior high school, local health officials said.
Djatmiko, head of the Grobogan Health Agency, said 113 students were hospitalized, with dozens still under medical care.
“As of Sunday, 79 patients remain in treatment,” he said on Monday, as quoted by state news agency Antara. “The situation is fluid, as some students have recovered and returned home, while others have required further treatment.”
He added that health authorities were closely monitoring the students’ conditions and have collected samples of the packaged meals to determine the source of the food poisoning.
Read also: Do-or-die year for Prabowo’s free meals rollout
