Free meal scheme to blame for half of food poisoning cases


Free meals: Students collecting trays of food supplied by the Indonesian government at an elementary school in Banda Aceh. — AFP

The government’s hallmark programme to provide free meals to combat malnutrition has contributed to nearly half of food poisoning cases this year, an official told lawmakers.

Thousands of people have been sick since the much-hyped billion-dollar scheme of President Prabowo Subianto launched in January, with critics calling for its suspension.

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