Thousands of school children in Indonesia have suffered food poisoning linked to a free lunch program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto. Authorities report that over 1,258 students fell ill from meals served between Monday and Wednesday, following an earlier outbreak that affected 800 children in West Java and Central Sulawesi. The program, designed to provide nutritious meals to 80 million schoolchildren, has faced scrutiny after a series of poisoning incidents prompted non-governmental organizations to call for its suspension due to health concerns.

Victims reported symptoms such as stomach pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath, prompting officials to investigate food preparation practices. Yuyun Sarihotima, head of the Cipongkor Community Health Center, noted that previous outbreaks have been attributed to negligent food handling, with recent meals including soy sauce chicken and fried tofu. The National Nutrition Agency implicated a technical error by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit as the cause of the recent mass poisoning, which has since seen operational suspensions.

Despite mounting criticism and calls for a reevaluation of the program, including proposals for direct meal funding to parents, the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment stated there are no plans to halt the initiative. With 4,711 cases reported from January to September, the program faces increasing challenges amid concerns over food safety and corruption risks associated with its substantial budget.



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