Students in Sukoharjo Enjoy Free Nutritious Meals Again After Food Poisoning

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said that several students at the SDN Dukuh 03 public elementary school in Sukoharjo, Central Java, have recovered from food poisoning after eating food from the program.

The poisoned students have now returned to eat the menu from free nutritious meal program. "Today the children returned to eat [the menu] accompanied by health center officials and it went smoothly without any incident," said Dadan Hindayana when contacted by Tempo via a messaging application on Friday, January 17, 2025.

The BGN, Dadan said, has directed and evaluated the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in Sukoharjo. However, Dadan did not elaborate more on the guidance and evaluation to prevent the poisoning case from happening again.

"All aspects that guarantee the smooth running (of the free meal program)," he said.

President Prabowo Subianto summoned Dadan Hindayana to the Presidential Palace today following the food poisoning incident. He came to report the alleged case of poisoning at the Sukoharjo elementary school.

Dadan arrived at about 14:00 local time. He said Prabowo had summoned him to discuss the free nutritious meal program. "We were summoned to discuss the free nutritious meal program. We will report it," Dadan said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, January 17, 2025.

Earlier, approximately 40 students experienced food poisoning after consuming food from the free nutritious meal program on Thursday, January 16, 2025. Following the incident, the government tightened the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each SPPG.

"Each SPPG must store food samples for 2x24 hours. So that if there is an undesirable incident like what happened in Sukoharjo, the cause can be carefully traced," Hasan said in an official written statement on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

Hasan said that the food samples prepared at the SPPG were currently being examined by the Health Department. He explained that 40 children who consumed the marinated chicken experienced nausea and vomiting. However, they were treated and medicated at the nearest health center and their condition has improved.

Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to this article.

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