Jakarta. More than 6,500 Indonesian students have fallen ill from suspected food poisoning linked to the government’s flagship Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) between January and September, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) told lawmakers on Wednesday.

BGN head Dadan Hindayana said 6,517 students were affected in 75 reported cases of MBG-related foodborne illnesses nationwide during the nine-month period.

“From Jan. 6 to July 31, we recorded about 24 incidents. But from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30 alone, the number jumped to 51 cases,” Dadan told a parliamentary hearing with Commission IX in Jakarta.

The incidents were spread across the archipelago: 1,307 students were affected in Sumatra, 4,207 in Java, and 1,003 across Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua.

According to Dadan, most outbreaks came from poor compliance with food safety protocols. “For instance, ingredients are supposed to be purchased no more than two days before cooking, but in some cases, they were bought four days in advance,” he said.

Cooking and delivery times also frequently exceeded guidelines. Meals should be consumed within four to six hours of preparation, but delays were common. Dadan cited an incident in Bandung, where food sat too long before reaching schools, leading to widespread illness.

Authorities have temporarily shut down several MBG service providers found to be in violation of safety standards. “We have imposed sanctions and suspended operations for providers who ignored standard operating procedures until corrective measures are in place,” Dadan said.

Despite the food poisoning cases, the government insists the MBG program will continue, calling it critical to combating malnutrition and improving food security. Chief Community Empowerment Minister Muhaimin “Cak Imin” Iskandar dismissed the idea of suspending the initiative.

“There is no plan for suspension. I haven’t heard of any,” Muhaimin told reporters last Thursday.

Launched earlier this year, the program has already disbursed Rp 13 trillion ($800 million), reaching 22.7 million beneficiaries. Authorities expect to cover 82.9 million Indonesians by the end of 2025.