Repeated MBG Poisonings Expose Weak Food-Safety Controls, Expert Says

Food-poisoning incidents linked to Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals program have occurred again, with hundreds of cases reported in Sidoarjo, East Java. Similar incidents have also been reported in Tana Toraja, Agam Regency and Jombang, following earlier reports from North Sumatra and Papua.

Tjandra Yoga Aditama, director of postgraduate studies at YARSI University, said the repeated cases show that food safety requires serious and systematic attention. He referred to the World Health Organization’s food-safety message of June 4, 2026, which called on countries to make food safety a priority.

Tjandra identified three main steps. Governments should create policies based on scientific evidence and involve relevant experts. They should establish regulations that reflect the risks involved while keeping the framework flexible enough to adapt to local conditions. They must also implement food-safety systems properly. "First, make policies that are truly based on scientific evidence," Tjandra said. He described effective implementation as the third priority.

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First, make policies that are truly based on scientific evidence.

He said food safety cannot be separated from nutrition and food security, because the three areas are closely connected and need to be handled together. He also urged a broader approach than the traditional idea of monitoring food from farm to plate, saying oversight should cover the full process from production to consumption.

That means monitoring the selection and preparation of ingredients, production, storage, distribution, delivery and consumption. Tjandra again pointed to the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food and Five Keys to Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables as guidance that could help prevent further poisoning cases.

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WHO also states that food safety, nutrition and food security are connected to one another.