Indonesia School Meal Program: Mass Food Poisoning Crisis

More than 500 students were admitted to hospitals in East Java, Indonesia, after suffering from suspected food poisoning traced to free meals provided through a government program for children. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

According to the National Nutrition Agency, 512 students in the Sidoarjo region fell ill on Tuesday after consuming lunches supplied through the program. As of Wednesday, approximately 80 children remained hospitalized.

"What we are focusing on now is maintaining the health of our children in hospitals," said Katut Sumdana, a senior official at the National Nutrition Agency. He confirmed that the kitchen suspected as the source of the contamination has been suspended from the program for 30 days. "We will publish the test results and the cause of the poisoning," he added. The deputy governor of East Java reported that the kitchen had been supplying meals to an Islamic boarding school.

The free meal program was launched last year by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto with the goal of combating malnutrition and providing food to tens of millions of children. However, the initiative has been plagued by a series of food poisoning incidents since its inception.

According to an organization that monitors the country's education system, approximately 37,600 poisoning cases linked to the program had been recorded as of August 8. Authorities have previously identified poor food storage and delays in delivering cooked meals as recurring factors contributing to these incidents.