Overview
- At a parliamentary hearing, the Food and Drug Agency cited 103 incidents affecting 9,089 children from January to September, while the National Nutrition Agency put the figure at 6,517.
- Investigators linked outbreaks to meals distributed hours after cooking, improper ingredient storage, weak food-safety knowledge, and many kitchens operating for less than a month.
- Lawmaker scrutiny highlighted limited hygiene certification, with only 36 of roughly 8,000 kitchens certified, and calls to reduce the number of students served by each kitchen.
- Authorities temporarily closed more than 50 kitchens and reported lab findings of E. coli and Salmonella, with a separate incident of glass shards found in rice in Batam.
- West Bandung clinics were stretched after over 1,000 students fell ill, and President Prabowo kept the programme running while ordering UV or very hot washing tools, water filters, food test kits and trained cooks in kitchens.