Nearly 400 children in Bengkulu province, western Indonesia, have fallen ill after consuming free school meals, marking the worst mass food poisoning incident linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship nutrition program.
The free meal initiative, launched in January for children and pregnant women, has already faced setbacks due to several food poisoning outbreaks across the country, reports Al-Rai.
Last month, 365 people in Central Java were sickened after eating school meals, with local media citing poor hygiene as the cause.
Video released by local authorities showed children between the ages of four and 12 being rushed to hospital last Thursday with stomach pains.
Bengkulu Deputy Governor Mian confirmed that an investigation has been launched. “We will temporarily suspend operations in that kitchen while we investigate to determine the cause of the problem. This is the responsibility of the National Food Agency’s investigation team and the authorities,” he said.
Follow The Times Kuwait on X, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news updates
