4,755 Students Poisoned by Free Nutritious Meals Programme, Teachers' Union: Government Negligent
The Indonesian Teachers’ Union Federation (FSGI) is urging the government to conduct a thorough evaluation of the free nutritious meals (MBG) programme. This call comes after 72 students in Pondok Kelapa, East Jakarta, suffered food poisoning following a nutritious meal on Friday, 3 April 2026.
FSGI’s Expert Council Chair, Retno Listyarti, stated that the government has consistently measured the programme’s success by the high number of beneficiaries. However, it has overlooked the thousands of poisoning cases associated with it. “The government is negligent in analysing MBG poisoning cases, even though the poisoning figures indicate increasingly serious problems,” Retno said in a press release on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
Retno regretted the poisoning incident affecting 72 students in East Jakarta, especially as learning activities had just resumed after the Eid al-Fitr holiday. She explained that this incident adds to the long list of poisoning cases from the MBG programme. In the first two months of 2026, Retno said, the number of MBG poisoning victims reached 4,755 people.
She detailed that in February 2026, the number of MBG poisoning victims was recorded at 1,920 people. This figure was down 32.2% from January’s 2,835 people. However, overall, in the first two months of 2026, the number of victims has reached 4,755 people. This means an average of 2,377.5 victims per month, higher than the average MBG poisoning victims last year.
In 2025, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network recorded 20,012 victims throughout the year, or an average of 1,667.7 people per month. This shows that the average monthly victims in 2026 have risen by 42.56% compared to 2025. “This means there has been a significant increase in MBG poisoning victims,” Retno said.
FSGI General Chair Fahriza Marta Tanjung added that the comparison indicates a worrying trend. He assessed that the recurring poisoning cases involving thousands of victims are an indicator of problems in supervision, food quality, hygiene, or distribution. “Every victim is evidence that there is a gap in the system,” he stated.
FSGI reminded that the 4,755 victims in the first two months of 2026 are not just statistics. The percentage decline in the last one or two months also did not occur due to improvements, but was triggered by the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holidays. “The fact is that the average condition is actually worsening. If there is no comprehensive improvement, this risk could continue to recur and grow larger,” Fahriza said.