Over 360 fall ill from free school meals in Indonesian town
More than 360 people in Sragen, Central Java, fell ill after eating free school lunches, marking the largest food poisoning incident linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship school meals programme, officials said Thursday.
Sragen government chief Sigit Pamungkas confirmed 365 people were affected. A food sample is being tested in a lab, and authorities will cover any medical treatment required. Ninth-grader Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu described waking up with severe stomach pain, headache, and diarrhea after eating the school-provided meal, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The suspected contaminated lunch included turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple, and milk. The meals were prepared in a central kitchen serving multiple schools. Distribution from the kitchen has been temporarily halted pending lab results.
The government’s National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the programme, has strengthened kitchen operations and delivery standards following previous food poisoning incidents. Since its January launch, the programme has already affected over 1,000 people and currently serves more than 15 million students nationwide, with plans to expand to 83 million by year-end.
Previous incidents, including one in West Java in May affecting over 200 students, found food contaminated with Salmonella and E. coli.
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