Between September 1 and 9 this year, nearly 3,500 people — most of them school students — reportedly suffered food poisoning after consuming MBG meals in multiple regions, according to data from Indonesia’s Health Ministry. Since the program began in January 2025, about 50,000 people have fallen sick across 560 reported incidents.
For some families, the consequences have been life-changing. On August 13, Febiola Purba, a 16-year-old vocational high school student from Karo Regency in North Sumatra, was served fish as part of the program. After returning home, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. Her father, Icuk Sugiarto Purba, said his daughter has since experienced memory loss, unable to recognise classmates, teachers, or even family members. “She didn’t even recognise me, her own father, despite us sitting together,” he told reporters.
Galau Muhammad from MBG Watch, a civil society coalition monitoring the program, said Febiola also suffered seizures and difficulty speaking clearly. “Her tongue and jaw have also been affected, and to date there is no treatment that has fully restored her condition,” he said. Febiola is now being treated in a Jakarta hospital at the request of Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who has visited her family and apologised.
Laboratory tests by the North Sumatra Provincial Health Laboratory reportedly found harmful bacteria including E. coli in food samples from the Karo outbreak. Nutrition expert Tan Shot Yen said the findings suggest food safety protocols may not have been properly followed. Police are investigating alleged negligence at a kitchen linked to the incident.
Edison Manik, whose daughter Eunice was also poisoned in the Karo outbreak, expressed frustration at the lack of accountability beyond an apology delivered through the media. The government has not publicly responded to the latest calls for suspension.