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View all search results200 students in North Sumatra fall ill after consuming govt provided lunch
Some students reported that the fish smelled off and the tempeh appeared moldy.
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Members of the Indonesian military (TNI) and police evacuate students on Jan. 29, 2026 that are suspected to have suffered from food poisoning from the free meals program at a senior high school in Kudus regency, Central Java. (Antara/Nirza)
M
ore than 200 students from two schools in Sidikalang district, Dairi regency, North Sumatra, have fallen ill after consuming food provided under the government’s free nutritious meal program, the latest in a series of food poisoning incidents linked to the initiative.
On Tuesday, 159 students from SMK HKBP Sidikalang Vocational School were hospitalized after experiencing stomachaches, nausea, diarrhea and shortness of breath hours after eating the government-provided lunch, school officials said.
School headmaster Melanton Sirait said the school first noticed a food poisoning outbreak when 76 students were reported absent due to illness. By 9 a.m., students who had attended school also began experiencing diarrhea and were quickly taken to the hospital.
“A day earlier, 720 portions of the government provided meals consisting of rice, chicken curry, lettuce, sliced cucumber and banana had been distributed to students and teachers. Of these, only 159 students ate the meals, as many suspected the food had gone bad. Those who consumed the meals later developed food poisoning symptoms,” he said on Wednesday.
Melanton added that the packaged meals planned for Tuesday were withheld and not given to students to prevent further incidents.
Read also: Public satisfied with free meal program despite food safety, budget concerns
Yohani Hutabarat, an 11th grade student affected by the food poisoning incident, said she experienced stomach pain, nausea and dizziness after consuming meals provided under the free meal program.
