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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Health & Science

Wave of MBG Food-Poisoning Cases Reported Across Indonesia, From Sidoarjo to Tana Toraja

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Hundreds of students and religious-school pupils in Sidoarjo, Rembang, Tana Toraja and Nganjuk reportedly developed symptoms after eating meals from Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals program.
  • Sidoarjo recorded the largest reported number, with 730 suspected victims by Thursday afternoon, while Rembang reported diarrhea among 725 students and 25 teachers.
  • Officials are reviewing the meal-service providers, and authorities are awaiting health investigations before confirming the causes as food poisoning.

At least 730 people in Sidoarjo were reported to have suffered suspected food poisoning after eating meals from Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals program. The victims included students at 19 schools and hundreds of pupils at Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school in Tanggulangin.

The cases were not confined to Sidoarjo. In Rembang, Central Java, 725 students and 25 teachers at SMAN 1 Lasem developed diarrhea after eating the program’s meals on Wednesday. The school’s teaching activities were disrupted the following day as students and teachers reported nausea and diarrhea.

School principal Juhartutik said a tasting team had found one portion of the food, chicken grilled as part of the menu, to be slimy and set it aside. The meals had been cooked at 3 a.m. and eaten by students at noon, she said. Rembang’s regional council visited Lasem Health Center and was awaiting the findings of the health authorities.

It seems to have been the Free Nutritious Meals program yesterday. A tasting team tried the food, and one portion was found to be slimy, while another was fine. The slimy one was set aside. The menu was grilled chicken. I clarified with the meal provider that it was cooked at 3 a.m., while the children ate it at noon.

· JuhartutikThe principal of SMAN 1 Lasem described the food inspection and the gap between preparation and consumption.

In Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, 136 students from SMP Negeri 1 and SMP Negeri 2 Makale were reportedly treated at three hospitals. Health chief Yosefina said 25 patients were at Fatima Hospital, 41 at Sinar Kasih Hospital and 70 at Lakipadada Regional Hospital. Local officials confirmed that students had been hospitalized but said they would not formally identify the cause as poisoning before further examinations.

Nganjuk in East Java reported about 100 affected students from SMAN 3 Nganjuk and elementary schools supplied by the Begadung 2 meal unit. East Java education chief Aries Agung Paewai asked schools to coordinate with the meal provider while the National Nutrition Agency evaluates the unit. In Sidoarjo, reported symptoms included nausea, vomiting and dizziness after students ate rice, scrambled eggs, tempeh, stir-fried vegetables and apples.

For now, we have asked the schools to coordinate with the meal provider so it can be evaluated. The National Nutrition Agency may temporarily evaluate the provider.

· Aries Agung PaewaiThe East Java education chief responded to the suspected cases in Nganjuk.
About this summary

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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