Over 360 people, primarily students, fell ill in Indonesia’s Central Java region after consuming contaminated school lunches from a government-subsidized meal program. This incident represents the largest food poisoning outbreak to date in President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship nutrition initiative, which has faced repeated safety failures since its January 2025 launch.
The affected individuals included students from multiple schools in Sragen, Central Java, who developed symptoms like severe stomach pain, diarrhea, and headaches. Ninth grader Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu described being awakened by acute abdominal pain, with many classmates reporting similar symptoms through social media.
The incident occurred on August 13-14, 2025, following consumption of meals distributed to schools in Sragen. The lunches consisted of turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber-lettuce salad, sliced apples, and milk – all prepared in a centralized kitchen facility serving multiple institutions.
Authorities immediately suspended food distribution from the implicated kitchen pending laboratory analysis of meal samples. Local official Sigit Pamungkas confirmed 365 illnesses and assured government-covered medical treatment for victims. This outbreak adds to over 1,000 poisoning cases nationwide since the program’s inception.
The contamination highlights persistent food safety issues in Indonesia’s rapidly expanding school meal initiative. Despite previous incidents including a May 2025 outbreak affecting 200+ students in West Java (linked to salmonella and E. coli), systemic weaknesses remain. The National Nutrition Agency claims to have enhanced kitchen standards, but implementation appears inconsistent.
The $10.6 billion program has ambitious targets to reach 83 million children by year-end, up from 15 million current beneficiaries. However, recurring safety failures threaten public trust and program viability. Authorities face mounting pressure to implement stricter oversight, including mandatory kitchen certifications and real-time monitoring.
Next steps include conclusive lab identification of pathogens and potential criminal negligence investigations. The government must balance rapid expansion with rigorous safety protocols to prevent future outbreaks. Program sustainability may require third-party audits and revised food handling guidelines before further scaling.