More than 1,700 Indonesian students and teachers sickened this week due to free meals programme
Officials said the suspected food poisoning cases linked to the free-meals program have triggered investigations and temporary kitchen suspensions.
- On Thursday, 777 students and teachers in Lasem, Central Java, contracted food poisoning after consuming government-issued free meals, bringing the total number affected by the scheme to more than 1,700 in just one week.
- Authorities blamed improper food storage and late delivery for the illnesses, which followed separate outbreaks in Sidoarjo, Nganjuk, and Agam, according to lawmaker Charles Honoris, who labeled the situation a "failure of the system."
- Before distribution, a taster found some grilled chicken meals "slimy," principal Juhartutik said; while most victims recovered at home, 15 students and teachers required hospitalization.
- The National Nutrition Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while surveys show only one-third of respondents remain satisfied with the programme, citing poisoning cases as a major reason.
- As of September 1, 50,000 individuals had been affected by food poisoning linked to the scheme, lawmaker Charles Honoris reported, underscoring systemic safety challenges threatening President Prabowo Subianto's multibillion-dollar initiative to eradicate under-nutrition.
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60 Articles
Indonesia free meal programme causes over 1,700 food poisoning cases in one week
Another 777 students and teachers in Central Java fell ill after eating government-issued free meals. The latest cases pushed the week's toll past 1,700 and intensified scrutiny of Indonesia's nutrition scheme.
More than 500 children are among the victims.
Food poisoning outbreak hits students in East Java. The medical emergency was reported at the Mabul Hikam Islamic boarding school after students consumed meals distributed by the state's free school meal program. Ketut Sumedana, deputy director of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency, confirmed that a total of 512 students suffered the effects […]
More than 1,700 Indonesian students and teachers sickened this week due to free meals programme
Another 777 students and teachers contracted food poisoning in Indonesia's Central Java after consuming government-issued free meals, a school principal said on Thursday, bringing the total number of people made ill by the scheme to more than 1,700 in just a week.
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