More than 500 students in East Java fell ill following lunch on Tuesday, with authorities suspecting contamination from the government's free school meals programme. The incident marks the latest controversy affecting President Prabowo Subianto's multibillion-dollar nutrition initiative.
Over 500 students in Indonesia's Sidoarjo region were hospitalised on Tuesday after consuming meals from the government's free school lunch programme, according to officials. While the National Nutrition Agency reported 512 cases, a regional official initially cited 516 affected students. By Wednesday, approximately 80 children remained under medical care across multiple hospitals.
Authorities have suspended the kitchen suspected of supplying the contaminated meals to an Islamic boarding school for 30 days pending investigation. Officials cited improper food storage and delayed delivery of prepared meals as common causes of such incidents. The National Nutrition Agency pledged to announce findings once the investigation concludes.
This outbreak represents one of numerous food poisoning cases linked to President Prabowo's flagship nutrition scheme, launched last year to address malnutrition among millions of children. According to monitoring group Network for Education Watch, approximately 37,600 food poisoning cases had been documented as of August 8. The programme has faced mounting criticism alongside corruption allegations, leadership turmoil—including the arrest of a former agency head in June—and budgetary concerns affecting the national fiscal deficit.
The new head of the National Nutrition Agency has initiated reforms, including closing hundreds of kitchens for quality violations. However, public confidence remains weak, with a July survey indicating only one-third of respondents approved of the scheme, citing poisoning incidents as a primary concern.