According to a report by Reuters on September 3, the "free nutritious meals" program vigorously promoted by the Indonesian government has once again caused large-scale food poisoning incidents. In just the past three days, more than 1,700 students and teachers have suffered from discomfort after consuming the free meals provided by the government. A member of parliament cited health department data, stating that as of September 1, the number of people suffering from food poisoning related to this program had reached 50,000.
The latest incident occurred in the Lasen area of Central Java Province. Juhartik, the principal of a local high school, reported that 752 students and 25 teachers experienced symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting after eating free meals on September 2nd. Among them, 15 people were hospitalized for treatment.
The meals served that day included roasted chicken. Zuhaitutik revealed that before serving the meals, tasters noticed that some of the chicken was “sticky,” and these parts were then removed. The kitchen responsible for serving the meals stated that the food was prepared by 3 a.m., and it was not delivered to the students until noon.
This is not an isolated case. On September 1st, 664 students at Sitou Azo in East Java experienced symptoms of food poisoning, and the kitchen involved was suspended from operation the next day. On September 2nd, 49 people were poisoned in Engganjuk in East Java, and 237 people were poisoned in Agam in West Sumatra. Adding the latest 777 cases reported by Larson, more than 1,700 people have been affected within three days. Indonesian congressman Charles Honorius stated that these incidents cannot be considered isolated cases, but rather represent a “systematic failure”.
Indonesian President Jokowi launched a free nutrition program last year, aiming to improve the nutritional conditions of tens of millions of children and other groups. It was also one of his key campaign promises. Currently, the program has reached an estimated value of $12.94 billion. However, since its implementation, there have been continuous reports of food poisoning incidents. Additionally, the program faces issues such as corruption concerns and management changes. According to Reuters, improper food storage and late distribution of meals are common causes of these poisoning incidents.
The head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency for this project, Sudariano, stated that the issue of food poisoning will be dealt with 'seriously'. A survey conducted in July this year showed that only about one-third of respondents were satisfied with the free nutrition meal program. Frequent cases of food poisoning are one of the main reasons for dissatisfaction among respondents.