512 Students Poisoned by Free Nutritious Meal in Sidoarjo; DPR: This Program is Excellent, but Please Improve It

The Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Lalu Hadrian Irfani, has responded to the mass food poisoning incident involving the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, which left approximately 512 students as victims.

He expressed profound concern regarding the recurring instances of food poisoning linked to the MBG programme. Lalu noted that while the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is currently working to improve the management of the programme, he lamented that such poisoning cases continue to occur.

“This is certainly a shared concern, but we suggest that the management of these free nutritious meals continues to be implemented,” Lalu stated at the DPR Building in Central Jakarta, as reported on Thursday, 3 September 2026.

“Today, we see the new Head of the BGN continuously striving and working to ensure that management becomes increasingly better. However, once again, incidents like this are still happening,” he added.

He emphasised that not a single individual should suffer from MBG-related poisoning and urged the government to take this issue seriously.

“Let alone dozens or hundreds, not even one person should be affected, especially by poisoning resulting from poor processes or management,” Lalu explained.

He urged the government, specifically the National Nutrition Agency, to seriously improve the management of the MBG programme so that no more students experience poisoning.

“Please evaluate and improve the SOPs; we in Commission X encourage efforts to ensure that such incidents do not befall other schools across Indonesia,” he said.

“This programme is very good. I urge anyone involved in the success of this programme to ensure that it operates strictly according to the established SOPs,” Lalu concluded.