(Jakarta, 26th) Indonesia’s free nutrition meal program has repeatedly seen mass food poisoning incidents, but the government has stated that it has no intention to suspend the program, and it remains a top priority for President Prabowo.
The free nutrition meal program is a flagship project of the Prabowo administration. In the past week, over 1,000 students in West Java Province suffered food poisoning. Since the program’s launch in January this year, more than 6,000 students nationwide have experienced food poisoning, sparking widespread doubts and calls for the government to pause the program for a comprehensive review and reassessment.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Social Empowerment, Muhaimin, recently responded to reporters’ questions regarding the food poisoning by ruling out the possibility of suspending the free nutrition meal program. He said: “At present, there are no such plans. I haven’t heard any news about this.”
The Jakarta Globe reported on Thursday (September 25) quoting Deputy State Secretary Juri as saying that the free nutrition meal program is a key project for Prabowo, and the government has strengthened monitoring and evaluation to prevent similar food poisoning incidents from occurring again.
According to information released by the Indonesian presidential office, after evaluating 1,379 suppliers of the free nutrition meal program, the authorities found that only 312 fully met food safety standards. Out of 8,538 suppliers nationwide, only 34 have official health certification from the Ministry of Health. Many of the mass food poisoning incidents occurred in newly built kitchens or kitchens where suppliers had recently changed.
West Java Province Governor Dedi said that kitchens have to provide meals for many students, but the kitchens are located far from the schools, forcing them to start cooking very early, sometimes even preparing food the night before, which causes the food to spoil.
Despite these setbacks, the Indonesian government continues to vigorously promote the free nutrition meal program and hopes to benefit 83 million people by the end of this year.
The free nutrition meal program is a flagship project of the Prabowo administration. In the past week, over 1,000 students in West Java Province suffered food poisoning. Since the program’s launch in January this year, more than 6,000 students nationwide have experienced food poisoning, sparking widespread doubts and calls for the government to pause the program for a comprehensive review and reassessment.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Social Empowerment, Muhaimin, recently responded to reporters’ questions regarding the food poisoning by ruling out the possibility of suspending the free nutrition meal program. He said: “At present, there are no such plans. I haven’t heard any news about this.”
The Jakarta Globe reported on Thursday (September 25) quoting Deputy State Secretary Juri as saying that the free nutrition meal program is a key project for Prabowo, and the government has strengthened monitoring and evaluation to prevent similar food poisoning incidents from occurring again.
According to information released by the Indonesian presidential office, after evaluating 1,379 suppliers of the free nutrition meal program, the authorities found that only 312 fully met food safety standards. Out of 8,538 suppliers nationwide, only 34 have official health certification from the Ministry of Health. Many of the mass food poisoning incidents occurred in newly built kitchens or kitchens where suppliers had recently changed.
West Java Province Governor Dedi said that kitchens have to provide meals for many students, but the kitchens are located far from the schools, forcing them to start cooking very early, sometimes even preparing food the night before, which causes the food to spoil.
Despite these setbacks, the Indonesian government continues to vigorously promote the free nutrition meal program and hopes to benefit 83 million people by the end of this year.