'800 ill in latest Indonesian food poisoning outbreaks'

Nearly 800 individuals have fallen ill in separate instances of food poisoning associated with Indonesia's government's free meals programme, according to a parliamentary commission member overseeing health. This figure includes over 500 students from East Java province this week. President Prabowo Subianto initiated the multibillion-dollar initiative last year to combat under-nutrition by providing free meals to tens of millions of children.

However, the scheme has faced numerous controversies, encompassing mass food poisoning, accusations of corruption, leadership changes, and a sizable budget. In addition to the 512 students who fell ill in Sidoarjo, East Java, 49 experienced poisoning in Nganjuk, East Java, and 237 in Agam, West Sumatra, as reported by Charles Honoris, a lawmaker and member of the opposition party on Instagram on Wednesday.

Honoris cited local health department data to make this claim, emphasizing that these incidents were not isolated. According to him, this represents a failure of the system. The National Nutrition Agency, responsible for the US$12.94 billion programme, has not yet responded to a request for comment on Honoris's post. They suspended the kitchen implicated in the Sidoarjo case on Wednesday.

There have been numerous outbreaks of mass food poisoning linked to the free-meals program, with 37,600 individuals reported affected as of August 8, as per the Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental watchdog. Improper food storage and delayed delivery of cooked meals are frequently blamed for the food poisoning, authorities have stated.

A survey conducted in July by pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting indicated that only one-third of people were content with the program, with the reported cases of poisoning cited as a significant reason.