Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) notes that as many as 4,000 students have become victims of food poisoning from consuming free nutritious meals in the past eight months. Reflecting on this situation, Indef urges the government to suspend the program, for which the government has earmarked Rp335 trillion in the 2026 State Budget bill.
"The food poisoning victims are not mere statistics. This shows the weakness in the planning and supervision of the program," said Indef researcher Izzudin in an online discussion titled "Assessing the 2026 State Budget Bill: Policy Direction for MSMEs, Cooperatives and the Digital Economy," on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Izzudin called on the government to thoroughly evaluate the program before planning to expand the free meal coverage. Out of the Rp3,700 trillion spending planned for 2026, Rp335 trillion, or 10 percent, has been allotted for the free nutritious meal program.
The fantastic budget has drawn public scrutiny and questions about the program's effectiveness. "Over the past eight months, the issue is not solely about mass food poisoning, but also poorly managed food distribution," he said.
To reduce the risk of budget leakage and implementation failures, he suggested that the free meal program be implemented in phases. A limited scheme in several areas is considered more realistic and would facilitate the monitoring and evaluation process.
"If it is enforced on a national scale without a trial, the fiscal capacity will be pressed for only one program. It's better for us to learn from practices in other countries such as Brazil, which are more cost-effective and efficient," said Izzudin.
In addition to the poisoning issue, Senior Economist at Indef, Aviliani, believes that the free nutritious meal program has failed to empower small businesses due to its overly stringent requirements. "If the free meal program could have an impact on MSMEs, it would boost their income. But the requirement to have a kitchen and food processing staff makes it difficult for MSMEs to participate," she said.
The latest case of MBG-linked mass food poisoning occurred in Lebong Regency, Bengkulu, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. A total of 150 students from preschool (PAUD) to elementary school level were hospitalized after free nutritious meals.
"These students were treated in the emergency room and have received care from pediatric specialists," said Acting Director of Lebong District General Hospital, Eni Efriyani as quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Previously, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan mentioned that several cases of food poisoning from the free nutritious meal were caused by students who had a history of allergies or were not accustomed to consuming certain food ingredients. "So, it's not a cooking issue, right? We're just not used to it," he said when visiting the free nutritious meal kitchen in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
– Dinda Shabrina and Winahyu Utami contributed to the writing of this article.