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Nearly 2,000 students and teachers in Indonesia fall ill due to food poisoning in President Prabowo Subianto's free meal program.

Nearly 2,000 people, primarily students and teachers, fell ill from suspected food poisoning between September 1 and September 3 due to Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals program. The outbreaks occurred across several regions, including East Java, Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh, and South Sulawesi. In Central Java, 752 students and 25 teachers at State Senior High School 1 Lasem suffered from symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. Similarly, in Sidoarjo, East Java, 730 people were affected at an Islamic boarding school. National Nutrition Agency head Sudaryono attributed the incidents to failures in following food safety procedures, including storage and temperature control. He described the market's kitchens as exhibiting deliberate negligence. The administration is currently investigating the causes of the outbreaks, with some kitchens being shut down for failing to meet hygiene standards. The program, a signature policy of President Prabowo Subianto, aims to provide meals to nearly 90 million people to combat malnutrition. Authorities are testing food samples to identify the specific causes of contamination.

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