Call for Urgent Evaluation of Free Meal Program After Suspected Poisoning Cases
Key Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s House of Representatives has called for a comprehensive evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meal program after thousands of students across the country were reportedly affected by suspected food poisoning. Deputy Chairman of Commission X Lalu Hadrian Irfani urged Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti to work closely with the National Nutrition Agency to ensure that the program, designed to improve children’s health, does not instead put them at risk.
Lalu emphasized that swift and coordinated action is required to restore public confidence. While acknowledging the program’s noble aim of providing better nutrition for students, he stressed that the alarming cases of illness reveal serious gaps in management and oversight that must be urgently addressed.
He called on the government to place child safety at the center of every policy decision. “This initiative was born from good intentions, but its implementation cannot come at the expense of children’s wellbeing. A thorough and honest evaluation is needed so the program can truly serve its purpose without endangering those it seeks to help,” Lalu said on Wednesday, Sept 24, 2025.
The lawmaker also underlined the importance of strict audits across the entire supply chain, from food procurement, storage, and distribution to kitchen management at schools. Hygiene and quality standards, he said, must be enforced consistently.
“Evaluation must cover every aspect, from upstream to downstream. There must be no gaps that could endanger children. I urge close supervision of kitchen operators and schools so every meal served meets nutritional and hygiene standards,” he explained.
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He further warned against expanding the program’s coverage before readiness at the local level was assured. Lalu described the Free Nutritious Meal initiative as an important investment in the country’s young generation but noted that its credibility would be damaged if it caused harm.
“We fully support the program because its aim is noble. But the government must refine the policy design so that no more children fall ill. Every life and health of our nation’s children is far more important than numerical program targets,” he said.
Illustration of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, showing a food tray filled with meals prepared for students. Source: National Nutrition Agency (BGN/Handout)
Civil Society Raises Systemic Concerns
Civil society organizations echoed the call for evaluation during a hearing before Commission IX of the House, urging reforms to prevent further harm. Representatives from the Maternal and Child Health Movement (GKIA), the Center for Indonesia Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI), and the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) recognized the program’s “good objective” but pointed to widespread governance weaknesses that had already resulted in numerous poisoning cases.
CISDI reported that between January and Sept 19, 2025, media monitoring documented 5,626 cases of food poisoning in 17 provinces, cautioning that the real number was likely higher due to underreporting. JPPI found 5,360 cases as of Sept 14, with another 1,092 cases in the following week.
“Instead of improving nutritional status, these findings suggest the Free Nutritious Meal program has the potential to become a risk factor that actually endangers the recipients,” said Muhammad Iqbal Hafizon, a senior policy analyst at CISDI.
National Coordinator of JPPI Ubaid Matraji added that the problems appeared systemic rather than incidental. “If it has spread to almost all provinces, we believe this is not a matter of technical error but rather the system applied by the National Nutrition Agency,” he said.
Concerns on Long-Term Nutrition
Tan Shot Yen of GKIA warned that beyond immediate safety issues, the program risked undermining long-term child health by distributing sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods. She cautioned that these practices could contribute to non-communicable diseases and weaken efforts to promote breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding.
“Our nation needs education so that children can breastfeed well until, God willing, two years old, and that they receive proper complementary feeding because their parents are knowledgeable,” she said.
“Everything good must begin with truth; conversely, something true must be on a good path,” she added.
Recommendations for Reform
While civil society representatives were critical, their recommendations were presented as constructive steps forward. JPPI called for the program’s temporary suspension to safeguard children, describing it as a necessary pause rather than an abandonment of the initiative. CISDI’s working group proposed a moratorium followed by a thorough evaluation.
GKIA suggested urgent reforms such as halting the distribution of industrial dry foods, discontinuing problematic School Meal Providers, and strengthening monitoring systems. In the longer term, it recommended focusing resources on remote and disadvantaged areas, involving local health offices and community health centers, ensuring financial transparency, delivering promised nutritional education, and using locally sourced menus.
Members of Commission IX, while cautious about halting what they described as a “very noble program,” welcomed the detailed proposals. They requested written recommendations and supporting data from the civil society groups to guide upcoming hearings with the National Nutrition Agency and the Ministry of Health.