431 East Java Students Fall Ill After Eating Free Meals

September 2, 2026 | 11:00 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of students at Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school in Tanggulangin, Sidoarjo, East Java, have reportedly suffered food poisoning after eating meals provided under Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

The meals were supplied by a local Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) operating outside the boarding school.

Manbaul Hikam Tanggulangin Foundation Chairperson K.H. Abdul Wahid Harun said the students ate the MBG meals at around noon on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

They began experiencing symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea at around 6 p.m.

As of 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 431 students had reportedly been affected and taken to several hospitals in Sidoarjo.

Wahid said the meals were supplied by the Kalitengah SPPG in Sidoarjo because the boarding school does not have its own kitchen unit.

"It is not true that the kitchen unit is located at the boarding school. It is in Kalitengah," Wahid told reporters.

More than 1,000 students received the free meals, he said, although not all of them developed symptoms or required hospitalization.

Kalitengah SPPG supervisor First Sergeant Andik confirmed the incident.

He said the meals consisted of white rice, scrambled eggs, stir-fried green beans and baby corn, Balinese-style seasoned tempeh, and apples. The SPPG delivered 440 meal trays to the boarding school.

Some of the meals were consumed at lunchtime, while others were eaten later in the afternoon because some students were still attending classes, Andik said.

Meanwhile, East Java Regional Deputy Coordinator of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Teguh Bayu Wibowo, said the Kalitengah SPPG had been temporarily suspended.

Authorities are awaiting laboratory test results to determine which food item may have caused the suspected poisoning.

"Once the lab results are available, the BGN headquarters will determine whether the SPPG should remain temporarily suspended or be permanently suspended," Teguh said.

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