Repeated MBG Poisoning, Elementary School Students in Bombana Eat Stale Chicken

KENDARI, KOMPAS - A case of food poisoning related to the Free Nutritious Meal program occurred in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi. Dozens of elementary school students experienced vomiting and stomach aches due to the suspected spoiled fried chicken menu. Incidents of food poisoning continue to recur in various locations across Indonesia.

According to Santi, the incident of students being poisoned by the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) menu occurred on Wednesday (23/4/2025). At that time, it was the third day of the meal program for 439 students. The first two days of the program ran smoothly and safely.

However, on the third day, particularly during the distribution of food for grades 1-3, many students vomited. The food in the serving containers emitted a foul odor. The children panicked and cried. In a circulating video, several students were seen vomiting after consuming the served menu. Other students were unable to withstand the foul smell that was detected.

In light of the incident, Santi stated that they immediately prohibited students from eating. The affected students were then given temporary assistance. Students in grades 4-6, who were scheduled to eat an hour later, were forbidden from consuming any food.

"According to the teachers' observations, the chicken in the food was foul and black. The chicken was fried in batter. The rice and other items were safe," said Santi.

In light of this incident, several parents and guardians of students are in a state of panic and trauma. This is because they do not want anything to happen to their children at school. Moving forward, the school will check the food before it is served to the students.

"But for today it seems there is no more food distribution. The information is still coordinating first," he added.

The Head of the Bombana Health Office, Darwin, stated that the poisoning incident was reported to have occurred at one school out of a total of three schools that received the distribution of MBG. The food was supplied by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in Kasipute for a total of 1,043 individuals.

After the incident became widely known, according to Darwin, his team immediately took steps for handling and monitoring. A team was dispatched to conduct an investigation, collect samples, and will test them in the laboratory.

“(Based on) preliminary monitoring, students vomited because the chicken served was rotten. That is what we will test first for the cause,” said Darwin.

According to Darwin, this incident should be a shared concern, especially for SPPG itself. This is because, from the beginning, the kitchen team has been responsible for designing the menu, seeking nutrition and dietary experts, and distributing food to schools. The health department has not been involved at all in this program. He hopes that there will be an evaluation regarding this incident.

Meanwhile, police data indicates that 53 portions of food were found to be spoiled out of more than 1,000 portions distributed. The police are still investigating this matter and awaiting the laboratory results conducted by the Bombana Health Office.

From Kompas' records, since the MBG program was launched on January 6, 2025, there have been at least four cases of food poisoning reported in four different areas. First, 40 students at Dukuh 03 State Elementary School (SDN), Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, were poisoned after eating free nutritious meals, Thursday (16/1/2025). Second, a case of poisoning befell eight elementary school students in Empat Lawang Regency, South Sumatra, Tuesday (18/2/2025).

Thirdly, at least 60 students from several schools in Batang Regency, Central Java, suffered from food poisoning after consuming MBG packages on Monday (14/4/2025). The students complained of dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fourthly, the most recent incident involved 78 students from Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 1 Cianjur and SMP PGRI 1 Cianjur in West Java. They exhibited symptoms of poisoning after consuming MBG packages on Monday (21/4/2025). Most of the students are currently still receiving treatment at two local hospitals.

Nutrition expert from Gadjah Mada University, Toto Sudargo, on Thursday (17/4/2025), stated that 60-70 percent of food poisoning cases originate from home-cooked food production. This includes street food, small eateries, and dishes prepared for community event gatherings.

According to him, food poisoning often arises due to the lack of attention to proper food processing procedures. This is especially true in the organization of large-scale meals. In fact, every stage of food preparation has vulnerabilities that can pose dangers to health. This ranges from the quality of the food ingredients, the methods and tools used for processing, the cooking process, storage, to distribution and serving.

Regarding the MBG program, Toto stated that the government must also prepare officials to conduct food sampling tests. This is an effort for early detection of food content before it is distributed to schools (Kompas, Wednesday, 23/4/2025).