The outbreak of food poisoning associated with the free lunch program of the flagship program of Indonesia has affected over 1,100 children in West Java this week.
The repeated food poisoning cases have cast serious doubts on the safety and control of the free lunch program by President Prabow Subianto.
The mass poisoning, reported across four areas of West Java province, is the second in as many weeks, following an incident that affected 800 students.
The program that is set to address the problems of child malnutrition and stunting has grown exponentially since its introduction in January, with more than 20 million children already benefiting, with the target of 83 million at the end of the year.
The outbreaks have strained the local health facilities, and the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, has therefore declared a health emergency.
He has mentioned the crucial logistical errors, such as the location of kitchens, which were miles away from schools, and were expected to serve an excessive number of students.
Mulyadi explained that the food was placed on the tray immediately after it was hot, and the tray was then shut, then spoiling it.
The events have prompted non-governmental agencies, such as the Network for Education Watch, to call a halt to the program in order to undertake a critical review.
The group informs that after January, there were at least 6,452 children who had fallen victim to food poisoning caused by the meals.
The government has also stated it has no intention of stopping the initiative, despite the crisis.
The program is a cornerstone of the President Prabowo's agenda to enhance child health by allocating $10.2 billion.
Nevertheless, specialists caution that its speedy implementation and massive funding, twice the amount of India's program that covers 120 million children, pose grave dangers, such as corruption and logistical breakdowns, which are now manifesting in the form of health crises in the public.