Over 800 students have fallen ill after consuming food provided under the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, prompting calls for a comprehensive evaluation of the flagship policy. The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) said the incidents serve as a “wake-up call” for urgent reforms.

Reuters reported that over 800 students were sickened in two separate mass food poisoning cases last week. In Garut, West Java, 569 students from five schools experienced nausea and vomiting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 after eating chicken and rice served by a communal kitchen the previous day.

“As of Friday, September 19, 2025, ten students remain hospitalized, while the others have recovered,” Garut Regency Administration Secretary, Nurdin Yana, said on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

He added that around 30 students were initially admitted to hospitals, with the rest treated at home. Local authorities have pledged to step up monitoring of food providers. While the program will not be suspended, meals will be simplified to bread, milk, boiled eggs, and fruit for the time being.

A second mass poisoning occurred on the same day in Banggai Islands, Central Sulawesi, affecting 277 students. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) confirmed food distribution in the region has been temporarily halted.

“The government apologizes for the recurrence of such cases, which of course are neither intentional nor in line with expectations,” State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said.

The story has drawn widespread coverage from international outlets including Reuters, ABC News, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and The Straits Times.

KSP Chief Muhammad Qodari stressed that MBG must be urgently reformed to prevent further health risks. “There must be improvements to the mechanism and institutional framework. This is a wake-up call that the program must be fixed as soon as possible,” he said.

Qodari emphasized that MBG should operate under a zero-accident standard. “Even a poisoning rate of 5 percent or 1 percent cannot be tolerated. This program must have zero tolerance for accidents − it has to be flawless,” he asserted.

He also warned of greater risks in remote areas where health facilities are limited. “In urban areas, recovery and treatment are faster because the facilities are better. But in remote regions, such incidents could turn into a major disaster,” he said.