Mass food poisoning strikes again as opposition to free meals program grows
Calls by parents, rights groups and students to halt the government's free nutritious meals program have intensified following the series of food-poisoning incidents. Some schools have also suspended or declined to participate in the program over food-safety concerns.
Mass food poisoning incidents have reignited opposition to President Prabowo Subianto's free nutritious meal program. Nearly 200 students in North and West Sumatra were hospitalized on Monday after consuming government-provided meals, including rice, spicy tilapia, crispy tempeh, stir-fried papaya, and snake fruit. Thirty-six students at a vocational high school in Karo regency experienced stomach pain and difficulty breathing, while 30 students at an Islamic junior high school in Asahan regency fell ill after consuming rice, chicken rendang, tempeh, cucumber, carrot pickle, and watermelon.
Thirteen students remain hospitalized as of Tuesday. The kitchens responsible for meal preparation have been suspended pending investigation. This follows a similar incident a month ago, where 353 students fell ill after eating meals in Karo regency. Calls for halting the program have grown from parents, rights groups, and students due to persistent food-safety concerns.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
