Thousands sickened by school food in Indonesia

Almost 6,500 people are believed to have suffered food poisoning linked to a school food program in Indonesia.

The number of cases related to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has reached 6,452, according to some sources. The initiative was designed to improve the nutrition of school children and was launched by President Prabowo Subianto in early 2025. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) reported 70 incidents of poisoning affecting 5,914 people from January to September.

Food poisoning linked to the program is believed to stem from several factors: microbiological and chemical contamination, improper food processing and storage, and delays between cooking and serving.

Delay between preparation and serving
Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency, recently visited sick people in Cipongkor, West Bandung Regency, West Java.

He said initial findings indicate an error by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), which cooked food early, resulting in it being stored for too long before distribution.

According to Dr. Merita Arini, a public health expert at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), MBG is a good program that deserves to be continued.

“Numerous studies have shown that school lunch programs have positive impacts, from nutritional control and hygiene to improved student attendance and achievement. However, when thousands of cases of food poisoning occur, this is clearly a cause for concern. This means we need to evaluate many aspects, including supervision, food distribution, and community involvement,” she said.

“The supply chain must be extremely strict. This includes fresh ingredients, hygienic processing, sterile equipment, and a distribution channel that shouldn’t be too long. If distribution takes too long, the risk of contamination increases.”

System failure
Academics at the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) said recurring incidents within a short timeframe reveal fundamental issues in the school food provision system.

According to reports, laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of E. coli, Clostridium, Bacillus Cereus, Salmonella and Staphylococcus in food samples and the vomit of victims. 

“I believe these cases highlight a systemic failure in the preparation, processing, and distribution of food. Weak coordination and evaluation mean that a thorough review and systemic improvements are urgently needed,” said Professor Sri Raharjo. 

Raharjo said the greatest challenge in maintaining hygiene standards in the MBG program is the weak monitoring of food consumption times. Other issues were the water quality used in cooking, limits on human resources, and a lack of understanding from food handlers.

Pramudya Kurnia,a nutrition science lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), called on the government to evaluate implementation of the program.

Weak supervision of mass food management systems is among the root causes of poisoning cases. Pramudya urged the government to audit raw materials and vendors, provide training and certification for kitchen staff, and implement standardized production and distribution processes.

“Training on food hygiene and safety must be mandatory. There also needs to be a proper checklist for food ingredients, including strict attention to expiration dates,” he said.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/10/thousands-sickened-by-school-food-in-indonesia/