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View all search resultsMass poisonings cast doubt on free meals reforms
New National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Sudaryono, who oversees the free meals program, described the series of food poisoning incidents lately as “deliberate negligence” by kitchens that had failed to follow the agency’s food-safety procedures.
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Students rest while receiving treatment for food poisoning at the regional general hospital after eating government-sponsored free school meals in Sidoarjo, East Java province, Indonesia, September 2, 2026. (Reuters/Suryanto)
T
he latest series of food poisoning incidents has put President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meal program under renewed scrutiny, with cases now being investigated by the National Police and questions mounting over whether recent reforms have addressed the program’s underlying problems.
More than 2,000 school students and teachers have fallen ill in separate food poisoning incidents across Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi over the past week after consuming meals provided through the government’s flagship initiative. Dozens have been hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and stomach aches.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Friday called on the police to conduct a “transparent, independent” investigation into the incidents, saying repeated food poisoning cases threatened children's right to life.
“[The government] must provide comprehensive remedies to the victims, including transparent epidemiological investigations to identify the root causes, fair sanctions and measures to ensure that such incidents will not happen again,” Komnas HAM commissioner Uli Parulian Sihombing said.
New National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Sudaryono, who oversees the free meals program, described the incidents as “deliberate negligence” by kitchens that had failed to follow the agency’s food-safety procedures.
Read also: Free meal expiry labels criticized as inadequate
In mid-August, just weeks after being appointed BGN head, Sudaryono introduced so-called expiry labels on free meals packages to address widespread food poisoning incidents. Under the new measure, meals must be consumed within four hours of being prepared at designated kitchens, known as Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs).
