The Indonesian government has ordered the suspension of nearly 2,000 kitchens participating in the free meal program nationwide after finding they were not registered for hygiene certification, leading to over 50,000 children and teachers falling ill from food poisoning.
Indonesia’s free meal program, a key policy of President Prabowo Subianto, is facing ongoing food safety issues after reports of a sharp increase in food poisoning cases, prompting the government to suspend operations of nearly 2,000 kitchens across the country.
On 7 September, Sudaryono, head of Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency, revealed that authorities have suspended 1,999 kitchens for not registering with the Ministry of Health to undergo mandatory hygiene and cleanliness inspections as required by law.
Currently, Indonesia has 27,022 kitchens preparing and distributing free meals nationwide, meaning the suspended kitchens constitute a significant portion of the entire system.
Sudaryono emphasized that obtaining hygiene and cleanliness certification is compulsory for kitchens in the free meal program, and officials will inspect all suspended kitchens before deciding on further actions.
Officials noted that hygiene and cleanliness standards are non-negotiable because they directly impact food quality and public safety, especially for schoolchildren who are the main recipients of the program’s meals.
The suspension comes amid repeated food poisoning incidents linked to the free meal program, particularly affecting students and teachers in various parts of Indonesia.
Just last week, over 2,000 students and teachers across several provinces fell ill after consuming meals from the program, prompting responsible agencies to vow swift and serious responses to the incidents.
According to Ministry of Health data as of 1 September, at least 50,000 people have been affected by food poisoning related to the free meal program. The main causes have been identified as improper food storage and delayed delivery, which can degrade food quality before reaching students.
President Prabowo’s free meal program was launched in January 2025 aiming to provide food to the public, especially schoolchildren, to improve nutrition and reduce malnutrition problems.
However, since its inception, the program has faced numerous issues including allegations of corruption, changes in management, and multiple major food poisoning outbreaks.
The recent discovery that nearly 2,000 kitchens have not registered for hygiene inspections raises serious questions about the program’s food quality control system, which must prepare and distribute vast quantities of food to students nationwide.
The Indonesian government is now accelerating inspections of the suspended kitchens and has affirmed that kitchens failing to meet standards will not be allowed to resume operations until it can be assured that the food distributed to children and the public is safe and of sufficient quality.
. Source:channelnewsasia
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