Indonesia
In separate incidents in three other locations this week, 950 individuals had fallen ill as a result of food poisoning linked to the programme, a member of a House commission overseeing health said.
Workers prepare nutritious meals under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program at the Samarinda Police Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in Samarinda Ulu, East Kalimantan, on Nov. 4. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
Another 777 students and teachers contracted food poisoning in Central Java after consuming government-issued free meals, a school principal said on Thursday, bringing the total number of people made ill by the scheme to more than 1,700 in just a week. In separate incidents in three other locations this week, 950 individuals had fallen ill as a result of food poisoning linked to the programme, a member of a House commission overseeing health said.
President Prabowo Subianto launched the multibillion-dollar free meal programme last year to improve nutrition for tens of millions of children, but the costly scheme scheme has been dogged by allegations of corruption, leadership changes and a spate of mass food poisoning outbreaks.
