JAKARTA: Riau Islands health authorities will conduct a thorough evaluation of the province’s free nutritious meal programme after multiple food poisoning incidents and the alarming discovery of shards of glass in government-provided meals.
Deputy Governor Nyanyang Haris Pratamura said authorities are currently investigating the incidents and plan to suspend the programme in affected schools until the investigation is complete.
“There are seven schools affected by these incidents. We are currently investigating the third-party caterers responsible for preparing the meals, especially in terms of hygiene, food safety and environmental standards,” he said over the weekend.
“Our initial findings point to possible mismanagement within the programme’s operations. The provincial government plans to revise food safety procedures and provide additional training to those responsible for carrying out the initiative," he added.
On Sept. 23, students at SMAN 04 Batam Senior High School in Batam discovered shards of glass in rice served as part of government-provided packaged meals. Images of the contaminated food quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread concern among parents and the public.
Fortunately, the glass was discovered before students consumed the meals.
Rafael Christian, head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) that prepared the meals, said the incident occurred when the glass lid of a pan used to fry eggs suddenly shattered during meal preparation.
"We immediately removed the glass shards, discarded the food and checked thoroughly for any remaining pieces," Rafael said on Friday (Sept 26), adding that one of the kitchen staff suffered an arm injury during the incident.
“We deeply regret our negligence and sincerely apologise to the students, the school and the public. We are committed to improving our food safety procedures. This has been a valuable lesson for us,” he added.
Just two days after the incident, 13 students from the SMPN 2 Karimun junior high school in Karimun regency exhibited symptoms of food poisoning including stomach pain, nausea and dizziness, allegedly after consuming spoiled tempeh and stir-fried vegetables provided under the free meals programme.
A day later, nine elementary students from SDN 10 Parit Lapis, also in Karimun regency, experienced similar symptoms after eating government-provided meals that included burgers. According to local officials, the students reported nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and even shortness of breath.
Currently, there are 127 SPPGs operating across Riau Islands, with the government planning to expand the programme to 253 units to serve the region’s 37,000 students.
Since its launch in January, the government’s free meals programme has been plagued by a series of food safety incidents. As of Sunday, education watchdog the Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI) recorded some 8,649 kids had experienced poisoning. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, recorded over 5,200 victims as of mid-September.
In addition to widespread food poisoning, students have also reported discovering maggots and caterpillars in the packaged meals. The programme has faced mounting criticism after it was revealed that some SPPGs were serving extremely small portions, far below what would be expected from the Rp 10,000 (US$0.64) per-meal budget.
Other meals reportedly included ultra-processed and sugary drinks, raising further concerns about nutritional quality. The programme’s financial sustainability has also come under scrutiny.
The government has earmarked Rp 335 trillion for the programme in 2026, more than triple the projected Rp 99 trillion needed for 2025. Health and education advocacy groups have called on the government to temporarily suspend the programme, urging a comprehensive overhaul, tighter food safety protocols and stronger oversight to prevent further incidents.
Despite mounting concerns, President Prabowo Subianto has defended his flagship initiative, acknowledging that an ambitious programme of this scale is bound to face challenges and shortcomings.
He also cautioned the public against "politicising" the food poisoning incidents, warning that they should not be used as a tool to discredit the programme and stressing its importance for children from poor families.
“I’m confident that we will resolve these food safety issues properly,” he said on Saturday. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
