105 Students and 8 Teachers at SMAN 1 Rembang Suspected of Food Poisoning from Free Nutritious Meal Programme

A total of 105 students and eight teachers at SMAN 1 Rembang, Central Java, have reported experiencing diarrhoea and nausea. These symptoms reportedly emerged after they consumed the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) menu on Thursday.

“A total of 105 students were affected by diarrhoea, along with eight teachers. There were no cases among the administrative staff,” said the Head of SMAN 1 Rembang, Endang Sri Lestari, when asked for confirmation on Friday night.

The MBG menu consumed by the students on Thursday consisted of rice, corn fritters, and ‘pentol bumbu Bali’ (meatballs in Balinese seasoning).

Endang stated that the casualty figures were based on data compiled by the school as of Friday morning. The school authorities are currently monitoring and providing assistance to students experiencing diarrhoea and nausea.

As of Friday night, 28 students were still recorded as suffering from diarrhoea and nausea, while others have reportedly improved after receiving medical attention.

Endang mentioned that she first received reports of students suffering from diarrhoea at approximately 09:30 WIB. At that time, she was attending a meeting at the Regional Education Office.

“Around 09:30, I received a call from the Vice Head of Public Relations, informing me that several children were experiencing diarrhoea. Consequently, I requested a list of data to clarify which students were suffering from stomach aches and diarrhoea,” she said.