Hundreds Ill After School Meals in Sragen
In the largest food poisoning outbreak tied to Indonesia’s free school lunch initiative, more than 360 people fell sick in Sragen, Central Java, after consuming meals provided under President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship program. Official reports confirm 365 individuals suffered symptoms such as stomach pain, headaches, and diarrhea.
Breakdown of the Contaminated Meal
The affected meal—prepared in a central kitchen and distributed to several schools—consisted of turmeric rice, omelet ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple, and milk. Authorities have suspended food distribution from the implicated kitchen pending laboratory test results.
Ongoing Challenges in a National Nutrition Drive
Launched in January, the free meals program aims to address child malnutrition and is managed by the National Nutrition Agency. To date, over 15 million Indonesians have benefited, with plans to reach 83 million recipients by year’s end, supported by a budget exceeding 171 trillion rupiah (~US $10.6 billion).
However, this is not the first incident. In May, a similar poisoning event in West Java left more than 200 students ill, with lab tests pointing to contamination by Salmonella and E. coli.
Government Response and Next Steps
Sragen’s regent, Sigit Pamungkas, has assured that the government will cover all necessary medical treatment for those affected. Preventive measures are being tightened; the National Nutrition Agency, led by Dadan Hindayana, stated that kitchen operations and distribution protocols have already been upgraded following earlier incidents—but further improvements are urgent.
Broader Implications
The recurring food safety failures pose a serious risk to public confidence in one of the world’s largest free meal programs. With ambitious expansion underway and hundreds of millions of meals planned annually, ensuring the integrity of preparation, storage, and distribution channels is vital to delivering on the program’s promise to boost nutritional wellness and economic growth.
