MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - 40,759 people affected. 36 provinces. And the cases keep recurring. How much longer should children's safety be sacrificed in the name of a priority government program?
The free nutritious meals program (Makan Bergizi Gratis, or
MBG) was intended as a government policy to ensure children's right to nutritious and safe food. Yet repeated alleged cases of food poisoning are raising increasingly serious questions: Is the state truly putting children's safety first?
The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (Jaringan Pemantau Pendidikan Indonesia, JPPI) recorded a total of 40,759 people affected by alleged MBG food-poisoning incidents from 2025 through early August 2026. The cases were recorded across 36 provinces. From January to early August 2026 alone, the number of people affected reached 12,656. Central Java accounted for approximately 34 percent, East Java 18 percent, and West Java 9 percent. These three provinces alone therefore accounted for 61 percent of the nationwide total.
These figures are not merely statistics. 40,759 are not simply 40,759 numbers. They are 40,759 people. They are children who fell ill, vomited, experienced breathing difficulties, required medical treatment, lost classroom time, and endured fear—as well as families who have had to face anxiety, hardship, and social costs because of a program that was supposed to provide benefits. And the problem has not yet been resolved.
MBG Food Safety Is Still Not Guaranteed
On August 13, 2026, hundreds of students in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, reportedly once again showed symptoms of food poisoning after consuming
MBG meals. According to initial reports, around 279 students from several schools required medical treatment. Symptoms ranged from itching in the mouth to breathing difficulties. The meals were reportedly supplied by an SPPG (Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi—a service unit responsible for providing nutritious food) that serves the schools concerned.
The Karo case makes one thing unmistakably clear: the food-safety problem within the MBG program has not been resolved. Therefore, the public debate must not be limited to the question: Which SPPG has been suspended?
The far more important question is: Who bears responsibility? Suspension is not the end of accountability. It is merely an administrative measure. If an investigation finds negligence, violations of food-safety standards, inadequate supervision, or other actions that constitute legal violations, administrative, civil, and criminal accountability mechanisms must be available, depending on the degree of responsibility involved.
Responsibility must not automatically end with kitchen staff. The entire supply chain must be examined: food procurement, storage, processing, packaging and distribution, quality control, supervision of SPPGs, and response mechanisms in the event of food poisoning.
The principle is simple: Those entrusted with a particular function must take responsibility; those who control risks must ensure that adequate safeguards are in place; and those who suffer harm are entitled to compensation and redress.
The state cannot demand public trust simply because MBG is a priority program. On the contrary, the larger a program becomes, the higher the standards of accountability must be.
Unacceptable in Its Current Form
Amnesty International Indonesia has even stated that MBG is unacceptable in its current form and, in response to repeated poisoning incidents, called for a temporary suspension and a comprehensive evaluation.
The law must not become negligent when confronted with a government program. The law must not yield to political interests. And the law must not be enforced rigorously only against those at the bottom of the hierarchy.
If violations have indeed occurred, investigations must be conducted transparently, independently, and in a manner that can be properly scrutinized. Those affected must receive medical care and support for their recovery. Parents are entitled to clear information. The public has the right to know what caused the incidents and what corrective measures the government is taking.
Furthermore, a national food-safety audit of all SPPGs is necessary. The government must not wait until more people are harmed before responding with another suspension after an incident has already occurred.
MBG may be a large-scale program. But children's safety must be a non-negotiable boundary. The state is not simply distributing food. It is directly affecting the bodies, health, and future of Indonesia's children.
Children Are Not Statistics
Children are not numbers. Victims are not statistics. Repeated cases of food poisoning can no longer be treated as ordinary incidents.
The public question today is simple but fundamental: How much longer must children become victims before the state truly takes action?
It is time for a comprehensive evaluation of MBG. It is time to enforce legal accountability. And it is time to place children's safety above targets, budget utilization, and the public image of the program. (IDNC)
By
Dr. Farid Wajdi, S.H., S.HumThe author is the founder of Ethics of Care.