October 1, 2025 | 12:05 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, revealed that two of his grandchildren in Yogyakarta suffered from food poisoning after consuming food provided by the government's Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program. One of his grandchildren required a four-day hospitalization.
Mahfud disclosed the incident in a video titled 'Bereskan Tata Kelola MBG' on his official YouTube channel, 'Mahfud Md Official,' uploaded on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
He stated that on the afternoon following the MBG consumption, eight students, including his grandchildren, began vomiting and were subsequently taken to the hospital. While seven students, including his elder grandchild, were discharged after a day, the younger child needed extended hospital care.
"So, six [students] and the elder one, after vomiting for a day, were allowed to go home and receive treatment there," Mahfud stated in the video uploaded on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. "But this one had to be hospitalized for four days."
Mahfud stressed that the series of poisoning cases cannot be treated as a mere matter of numbers, emphasizing that the governance of the free meal program needs urgent improvement.
He asserted that while the number of poisoning incidents is statistically small, less than 0.1 percent of total recipients, the issue concerns lives and health. "This is not a matter of numbers. This needs to be further investigated," he said.
MBG Food Poisoning Cases
The MBG program, a flagship initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, has drawn scrutiny due to the increasing number of food poisoning incidents.
From January to September 22, 2025, the program had targeted 22.9 million recipients utilizing 8,450 kitchens.
During its nine months of implementation, the National Nutrition Body recorded 5,914 beneficiaries suffering from poisoning. However, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network reported an even higher figure, with more than 8,000 individuals affected.
Prabowo acknowledged the shortcomings in the program's execution during a speech at the Partai Keadilan Sejahtera congress in Central Jakarta on Monday, September 29, 2025.
He maintained that the percentage of incidents was extremely low, stating that out of the total 30 million MBG beneficiaries, including children and pregnant mothers, receiving food daily, "We calculated from all the food that deviates, the deficiencies, or mistakes, it is 0.0017 percent."
Editor's Choice: Two Indonesian Journalists Reportedly Face Violence at Jakarta MBG Kitchen
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Prabowo Leads Pancasila Sanctity Day Ceremony at Lubang Buaya
1 jam lalu
President Prabowo served as the Inspector of the commemoration ceremony for Pancasila Sanctity Day 2025 at Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta, on Oct. 1, 2025
Two Indonesian Journalists Reportedly Face Violence at Jakarta MBG Kitchen
3 jam lalu
Two journalists experienced alleged violence while attempting to confirm the case of MBG poisoning at SDN 1 Gedong, Pasar Rebo.
Garut Declares 'Extraordinary Occurrence' After Mass Food Poisoning from MGB Meals
4 jam lalu
Mass food poisoning case has occurred again in Garut Regency, West Java, on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. This time, the victims were a toddler and 130 elementary, junior high, and high school students.
Today's Top 3 News: Indonesian Minister Confirms MBG Program Will Continue Despite Economic Warnings
13 jam lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Indonesia's Ombudsman Uncovers Premium Rice Fraud in Free Meal Program
14 jam lalu
Indonesia's Ombudsman has uncovered irregularities in the MBG program, including alleged falsification of premium rice quality by a food supplier.
Prabowo Welcomes Marc Marquez in Jakarta as Indonesia Gears Up for MotoGP
14 jam lalu
President Prabowo met Spanish motorcyclist Marc Marquez at the State Palace on Tuesday, with Sports Minister Erick Thohir saying Marquez felt honored.
Indonesia's Prabowo Awards Top Civilian Honor to Bridgewater Founder Ray Dalio
18 jam lalu
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the medal was given as a gesture of appreciation for Ray Dalio's contributions.
Prabowo Meets with Ray Dalio: Here's What They Discussed
19 jam lalu
Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto revealed that the meeting covered a wide array of topics, including Prabowo's recent visit to the UN.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry Responds to Billboards Showing Prabowo with Trump, Netanyahu
20 jam lalu
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry responded to billboards in Israel featuring President Prabowo with world leaders, including Trump and Netanyahu.
Indonesia to Receive 2 South Korean T-50i Golden Eagle Jets in November 2025
23 jam lalu
The two T-50i Golden Eagle fighter jets are the first batch of a six-unit procurement agreement finalized during the term of Defense Minister Prabowo.
