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Free meals causes food poisoning in Medan with 6 pupils hospitalized

The pupils felt sick after consuming packaged milk, which they said no longer good and had lumps like coconut milk. 

Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post)
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Medan
Mon, October 12, 2026

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Participants in a protest by a civil society coalition known as MBG Watch display a poster reading “Free Nutritious Meals and Red-and-White Village Cooperatives = Vampires of the State Budget” on Aug. 14 outside the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office in Central Jakarta. The protest was held to voice public concerns and criticize government budget policies, particularly the free nutritious meals program, amid continuing reports of food poisoning in several regions. Participants in a protest by a civil society coalition known as MBG Watch display a poster reading “Free Nutritious Meals and Red-and-White Village Cooperatives = Vampires of the State Budget” on Aug. 14 outside the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office in Central Jakarta. The protest was held to voice public concerns and criticize government budget policies, particularly the free nutritious meals program, amid continuing reports of food poisoning in several regions. (JP/Iqro Rinaldi)

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resident Prabowo Subianto’s ill-managed free nutritious meal program again causes illness after 17 pupils from SDN 060870 state elementary school suffered food poisoning in Medan on Friday, with six treated in the hospital.

Two of the hospitalized pupils were discharged on Saturday.

Medan City Secretary Erfin Fahrurrazi said the administration was still monitoring the condition of the pupils treated at Imelda Hospital in Medan. Another 11 pupils were allowed to go home after receiving treatment at the hospitals.

Efrin said the city administration was still waiting for laboratory results from food samples given by the nutrition fulfilment service center (SPPG) to the pupils. But from the vomiting and diarrhea suffered by the students, they are suspected of have suffered food poisoning.

“The indication was this was from food. But the laboratory results will confirm this,” Efrin said on Friday.

Siti Nurzanah, the mother of a victim, said her oldest child was among the students suffering from food poisoning and brought to the hospital. She said that her child was getting better after being treated at the hospital.

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“Initially, he was suffered from repeated nausea and stomachache,” she told The Jakarta Post at the hospital on Friday afternoon.

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