352 Students Poisoned in Lombok; Ombudsman Finds Unsuitable Kitchen Facilities
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) representative is investigating the poisoning of 3lag 352 students after they consumed free nutritious meals (MBG) in the Batukliang District, Central Lombok Regency. Initial findings indicate that the food processing kitchen facilities are far from adequate.
The Head of the Ombudsman NTB Representative, Dwi Sudarsono, revealed that intensive inspections directly targeted the kitchen of the Batukliang Mekar Bersatu Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), which acts as the food supplier.
In the poisoning incident that occurred on Friday (11/09/2026), students at SDN Beber were the most severely affected. At that school, 162 students and seven educators suddenly experienced health complaints after eating the MBG meal.
“The results of the inspection found strong indications of non-compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) for food processing,” said Dwi in his statement on Friday (18/09/2026).
Regarding the chicken meat storage area, Dwi stated that it was found to be below standard and lacked a temperature monitoring device. Such devices are essential to ensure that food remains safe and fit for consumption.
“Therefore, we also found that the facilities and infrastructure for storing raw materials do not meet standards, posing a high potential for contamination,” he emphasised.
The Ombudsman’s investigation now covers the entire supply chain, ranging from preparation, storage, and processing to the distribution process of food to the recipient schools.
Following these findings, Dwi has coordinated with the MBG Task Force of Central Lombok Regency and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Bali-Nusra to impose a temporary suspension on SPPG Mekar Bersatu.
“The BGN has taken action against SPPG Mekar Bersatu by implementing a 20-day suspension,” said Dwi.
During this operational freeze, the SPPG management is required to undertake a total overhaul of the kitchen’s facilities and infrastructure to meet food safety standards. The NTB Ombudsman has ensured they will closely monitor this improvement process.
“We will certainly monitor whether the SPPG truly carries out the necessary repairs during these 20 days,” said the former official of Walhi Pusat.
Dwi emphasised that strict supervision is necessary to ensure the President’s priority programme runs safely. He also called for active community involvement, urging citizens not to hesitate to report any indications of irregularities in the MBG distribution.
“We urge the public to submit reports or complaints to the Ombudsman if they find any indications of deviation within this MBG programme,” Dwi concluded.