Hundreds Sick in Indonesia’s Largest School Lunch Poisoning Case
SRAGEN, INDONESIA – More than 360 students and residents in Sragen, Central Java, have fallen ill after eating free school lunches, marking the biggest food poisoning incident since Indonesia launched its flagship free meals programme in January.
Local officials said 365 people reported symptoms after consuming lunches prepared in a central kitchen and distributed to several schools. Victims complained of stomach pain, diarrhoea, and headaches, with some seeking hospital care. The government has pledged to cover medical costs for those affected.
One student, ninth-grader Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, told Reuters he was woken at night by severe stomach cramps, later realising from social media posts that many classmates were also unwell.
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The suspected meal included turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple, and a box of milk. Samples have been sent to a laboratory for testing, and distribution from the implicated kitchen has been halted pending results.
The free meals programme, a key policy of President Prabowo Subianto, has faced repeated safety concerns. Since its rollout, more than 1,000 people have fallen ill in various incidents. In one case in West Java in May, over 200 students were sickened after food was found to be contaminated with Salmonella and E. coli.
Authorities say they have tightened kitchen standards and delivery protocols. The programme currently serves more than 15 million recipients, with plans to reach 83 million by year’s end at a cost of 171 trillion rupiah ($10.62 billion).
