More Than 1,700 People Fall Sick After Indonesia’s Free School Meals

More than 1,700 students, teachers and other people in Indonesia have fallen ill after consuming meals provided under the government’s free school meals programme, with several outbreaks reported within just three days.

The latest incident occurred in Lasem, Central Java, where 777 students and teachers reportedly developed symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting after eating government-provided meals at a senior high school.

According to the school principal, 752 students and 25 teachers became sick after eating grilled chicken on Wednesday. A food taster had reportedly noticed that some of the chicken was “slimy” before it was served, and the affected portions were removed.

A local doctor said 15 students and teachers were hospitalised, while most of the other victims were sent home for treatment.

The latest outbreak follows a separate incident in Sidoarjo, East Java, where 664 students fell ill after consuming free school meals. The kitchen linked to that outbreak was subsequently suspended.

Two other incidents reported on Wednesday affected 49 people in Nganjuk, East Java, and 237 people in Agam, West Sumatra.

A member of Indonesia’s parliamentary health commission said the outbreaks were not isolated cases. He also cited health department data indicating that about 50,000 people had been affected by food poisoning linked to the programme as of September 1.

President Prabowo Subianto launched the multibillion-dollar free meal programme last year to improve nutrition among tens of millions of Indonesian children. However, the initiative has faced criticism over repeated food poisoning outbreaks, allegations of corruption and management problems.

Officials have previously identified improper food storage and delays in delivering cooked meals as common causes of food contamination.

The head of Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the programme, said the latest food poisoning cases would be dealt with seriously.

The government-funded programme, worth about $12.94 billion, has also seen declining public approval, with a July survey finding that only around one-third of respondents were satisfied with the scheme.

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