Indonesia free meal program hit by repeated mass food poisoning; 2,000+ students ill

Indonesia's flagship free nutritious meals program, a key Prabowo initiative, faces renewed scrutiny after another wave of mass food poisoning sickened over 2,000 students across Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi in the past week, including 200 at an Islamic school in Rembang. Despite new food safety rules, implementation failures persist, highlighting a gap between policy and on-the-ground practice. The recurring incidents threaten the program's political viability and public health credibility.