FILE PHOTO: This picture taken on June 23, 2025 shows elementary schoolchildren eating food prepared by the Indonesian government's free meal programme at a classroom in Jakarta. Over the past week, at least three clusters of mass food poisoning have been reported in some regions, with more than 1,000 students falling ill after they consumed meals distributed under the flagship programme. - AFP
JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto ’s free meals programme faces mounting calls for suspension following repeated cases of mass poisoning that have heightened public concern over food safety and mismanagement.
Over the past week, at least three clusters of mass food poisoning have been reported in some regions, with more than 1,000 students falling ill after they consumed meals distributed under the flagship programme.
Since its launch in January, the programme has reached over 25 million recipients with a budget of Rp 71 trillion (US$4.28 billion) this year, and is slated to expand further next year with funding that could reach Rp 335 trillion.
But, in the largest food poisoning outbreak so far, 569 students from five schools in Garut regency, West Java, reportedly suffered nausea and vomiting on Wednes (Sept 17) after eating chicken and rice supplied by a free meal kitchen the previous day.
Also last week, two other incidents emerged in the Banggai Islands, Central Sulawesi, and in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, where 335 students and 130 students fell ill, respectively.
These incidents are, however, far from being one-offs. According to the Centre for Indonesia Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI), there have been at least 5,626 food poisoning cases linked to the free meal programme since its launch.
“The root problem lies in the government’s ambition to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries. In chasing such a massive target, the programme has been rushed, leading to poorly managed food preparation and distribution,” founder and CEO Diah Saminarsih told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
She said that the Prabowo administration must suspend the programme and carry out a thorough evaluation to prevent further harm.
“The government must also immediately open reporting channels and follow up on public complaints as an initial step to restore victims’ rights,” Diah added.
The Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI) also reported a similar number of food poisoning, at 5,360 cases, and called the situation a “national humanitarian emergency” and clear evidence of “systemic failure”.
JPPI coordinator Ubaid Matraji warned that, without an immediate suspension and thorough evaluation, the programme could soon start to cost children their lives.
“Schoolchildren cannot be guinea pigs for a rushed policy. If the president is serious about protecting Indonesia’s ‘golden generation,’ he must halt the programme and conduct a full evaluation. Otherwise, the state is neglecting its citizens’ safety,” Ubaid said on Saturday.
The government-sanctioned but independent Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) joined calls for the suspension of the programme, saying the scale of its rollout has become “reckless”. “The government must not chase targets at the expense of children’s safety. It is alarming to imagine young children becoming victims of food poisoning,” deputy chair Jasra Putra said in a statement on Thursday.
Amid the mounting pressure, presidential chief of staff M. Qodari described the recent spate of food poisoning as a “wake-up call” for a thorough evaluation of the free meal programme. “This is a programme where no accidents should occur.
That is why improvements to the programme’s mechanisms, institutional management and various other aspects are necessary, and this process is already underway,” Qodari said on Saturday.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, meanwhile, issued on Friday a public apology on behalf of the government and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which is in charge of the programme. “These [food poisoning] incidents are not something we expected, nor were they intentional. Nevertheless, it serves as an evaluation and a reminder,” he added.
Beyond the food poisoning incidents, the free meal programme has sparked several other controversies, including reports suggesting that some food trays were allegedly contaminated with lard. The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency has conducted tests to verify these claims but has not yet made the results public.
Meanwhile, in Brebes, Central Java, an Islamic boarding school went viral last week for issuing a waiver asking parents to assume responsibility for any risks from the free meals, including food poisoning. The waiver drew public backlash on social media and the school eventually retracted it.
More recently, a lawmaker from House of Representatives Commission IX overseeing health raised concerns over potential fund mismanagement, saying during a meeting last week with BGN that as many as 5,000 meal-prep kitchens (SPPG) were “bogus”. In response, BGN deputy head Sonny Sanjaya said there were no such bogus kitchens because every kitchen must go through assessments to be eligible for funding and running the programme. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
