556 Students in Sidoarjo Poisoned by Free Nutritious Meal, East Java Provincial Government Prepares Sanctions

A total of 566 male and female students at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo suffered food poisoning after consuming the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) menu. The East Java Provincial Government has stated that it will prepare strict sanctions for the relevant Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG).

“Indeed, the Head of the Task Force, who recently held a consolidation meeting with the East Java MBG Task Force team, was present alongside the Vice Governor. As a government, we are deeply concerned as this is not the first time such an incident has occurred,” said the East Java Provincial Secretary, Adhy Karyono, at the East Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Wednesday (2/9/2026).

Adhy expressed regret that the Kalitengah SPPG was not meticulous in serving the food, leading to the poisoning of the students. He expressed hope that the sanctions would be followed up by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).

“Even though food safety certificates (SLHS) and supervision were in place, they performed something beyond our oversight capabilities that resulted in a fatal consequence,” he said.

“Therefore, once again, the task force is conducting a deep investigation and has reported to the BGN to follow up on sanctions, particularly regarding the investigation into the underlying cause of the poisoning,” he added.

Adhy also stated that the East Java MBG Task Force will continue to monitor the primary kitchens where many poisoning cases have occurred.

“We certainly hope for firmness, and that cases such as this will not happen again. We will further tighten the management of MBG kitchens to ensure they are operated properly,” he said.