May 2, 2025
JAKARTA – Recently, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Dadan Hindayana stirred up media attention with the claim that the free nutritious meal program’s food poisoning rate was “only 0.5 percent”, even though an outbreak was declared in Cianjur, West Java.
Cases of suspected food poisoning linked to the free meals program have emerged in several regions, raising serious concerns about the true cost of this well-intended initiative.
At least four areas have reported incidents since the program began early this year. In Bombana regency, Southeast Sulawesi, at SD 33 Kasipute on April 23, several students vomited after detecting a foul smell from their free meal package, which included rice, chicken karaage, fried tofu and vegetable soup.
A similar event unfolded in Cianjur Regency, West Java, involving 78 students from two schools. This incident was declared an extraordinary event (KLB) after a total of 176 residents, including those attending a local celebration, showed symptoms like nausea and vomiting.
In East Sumba regency, East Nusa Tenggara, 29 students from Andaluri Catholic elementary were rushed to healthcare facilities after consuming free meals on Feb. 18. Meanwhile, in Central Java’s Dukuh 03 Sukoharjo elementary, at least ten students out of 200 reported stomach pain and nausea after eating their free meals on Jan. 16.
These incidents are far from trivial. Every extraordinary event comes with heavy costs, which are not just financial, but which impact public trust and community health.
Alarmingly, Indonesia’s food safety infrastructure already faces significant challenges. According to Food Control, Volume 134, published in April 2022, Indonesia ranked 7th out of nine ASEAN countries in food quality and safety scores.
Globally, Indonesia’s Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2022 was 60.2 out of 100, placing the nation 63rd out of 113 countries. For comparison, Singapore ranked 28th, Malaysia 41st and Vietnam 46th. Specifically for food quality and safety, Indonesia scored 56.2 and ranked 78th worldwide.
Even before the free meals program launched, food safety was a persistent issue in Indonesia. The introduction of a mass free meals program demands even more stringent attention to food safety protocols.
Unsafe food is linked to over 200 diseases, from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions like cancer. Programs feeding thousands of students every day must not only meet nutrition goals but must be fortified with robust food safety measures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has long emphasized five key principles of food safety: Keeping food clean, separating raw and cooked foods, cooking food thoroughly, maintaining safe temperatures and using safe water and raw materials.
These are not optional guidelines; they are non-negotiable foundations for any program distributing food to vulnerable groups like schoolchildren.
The free meals program, though launched with the right intentions, now demands serious re-evaluation. It must not simply chase targets or statistics but prioritize genuine health outcomes. Otherwise, instead of solving nutritional gaps, we risk creating a new wave of widespread illness.
Building stronger school food policies is critical. All catering vendors and their subcontractors must be trained and certified in food safety practices, particularly HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards.
Indonesia’s own Health Ministry Regulation No. 2/2013 outlines clear steps that must be taken when an extraordinary event occurs: Monitoring and evaluation, technical guidance, capacity and skills improvement and strengthening of networks and partnerships.
Yet, upon reviewing the free meals program documents, it appears that no HACCP documentation has been developed. Without a functioning HACCP system, daily monitoring records that could prevent food poisoning incidents are missing. Critical control points, where food safety checks should be enforced, are notably absent.
Moreover, the free meals program guidelines permit recombined milk, which tends to be high in sugar, but set no clear limits on sugar or salt intake. This is troubling, given that the 2023 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) found that 44.4 percent of Indonesian students consume sugary drinks daily.
The free meals program also lacks detailed logistics procedures about food distribution, such as departure times, how to maintain food safety during transit and maximum holding periods, all essential aspects to ensure that food remains safe from kitchen to classroom.
The 20-day trial period of the free meals program was too short, covering too broad an area without sufficient depth of evaluation. Launching at scale without thorough testing risks opening the door to more, and potentially larger, problems in the future.
Strengthening food handler certifications, creating comprehensive guidelines and establishing ongoing monitoring and evaluation processes are urgent needs if the free meals program is to succeed safely.
At its core, the free meals program was born out of a noble mission, to nourish our future generation. However, good intentions alone are not enough. In matters of food safety, there is no room for compromise.
Every child deserves meals that are not only nutritious but also safe. We cannot afford to sacrifice health in the pursuit of numbers or targets.
This is not just about fixing a program. This is about safeguarding trust, protecting futures and building a system where every meal served reflects the dignity and care our children deserve.
Let us not wait for another outbreak to force our hand. The time to act is now, with stronger standards, rigorous monitoring and an unrelenting commitment to food safety excellence.
When it comes to our children, good enough is never enough.