School Meal Poisoning Sickens Hundreds of Children in Indonesia
More than 1,000 children in Indonesia’s West Java province have suffered food poisoning after consuming free school lunches. Authorities reported that small hospitals quickly became overwhelmed and a public health emergency was declared in the region. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi stated that cases had been recorded in four different districts. He noted that on Monday alone more than 470 pupils in West Bandung had fallen ill, while by Wednesday at least 580 additional cases were reported in West Bandung and Sukabumi following three new outbreaks.
The head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, confirmed that kitchens linked to the poisoning incidents had been temporarily shut down. Officials explained that meals were often cooked the night before, sealed while still hot and stored in ways that increased the risk of spoilage.
The incident has intensified criticism of President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meal programme, which already serves more than 20 million students nationwide. The scheme is expected to reach 83 million people by the end of the year, with its budget set to rise to 171 trillion rupiah (10.2 billion US dollars) next year. However, the rapid expansion has heightened concerns about food safety and weak regulatory oversight.