More than 1,700 Indonesian students and teachers sickened this week due to free meals programme
The outbreaks prompted school closures and an investigation as officials linked the meals to improper storage and delayed delivery.
- 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.
73 Articles
73 Articles
On Java, 777 students and teachers have suffered food poisoning due to a free school meal. The number of people ill due to free school food in Indonesia has risen to more than 1,700 in three days. Students and teachers at a secondary school in Central Java developed diarrhea and vomited after eating grilled chicken, says the school principal. According to the principal, a canteen worker noticed that part of the meat was slimy while distributing…
Reformatorisch Dagblad
Hundreds of students in Indonesia fell ill last week after eating a free school lunch. In Rembang on Java, at least 725 students and 25 teachers were affected. It is the second time in a week that hundreds of illnesses have been linked to the government-funded meal program.
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.
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