JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto has abruptly dismissed the director of Indonesia’s National School Meal Programme, Irfan Nurhadi, after a series of mass food poisonings left 260 children hospitalized within seven days. Nurhadi, a career civil servant appointed in 2021, was relieved of duty late Monday as part of a broader review of food safety protocols.
The dismissals came hours after emergency teams confirmed the source of the poisonings: tainted eggs supplied by a Jakarta-based vendor. Lab tests revealed the presence of salmonella in batches distributed to 147 schools, forcing the government to suspend all egg-based meals for the remainder of the week.
📋 By The Numbers
- 147 schools — Affected by the contaminated egg shipments
- 7 days — Time from first poisoning to national shutdown of egg meals
- Rp 18 billion — Estimated value of recalled egg batches
Nurhadi’s removal marks the first public accountability measure since the crisis erupted on Friday, when 89 pupils in Bandung, West Java, were rushed to hospital after breakfast. Similar incidents followed in Surabaya and Semarang, prompting provincial governors to demand Prabowo’s intervention.
| Province | Cases | Schools Impacted |
|---|---|---|
| West Java | 124 | 68 |
| East Java | 87 | 45 |
| Central Java | 49 | 34 |
Prabowo, who launched the free meal programme in August 2023 as a cornerstone of his anti-poverty agenda, has faced mounting criticism over its execution. Critics argue that the scheme’s rapid expansion—now serving 23 million students daily—exposed systemic gaps in procurement and oversight.
Key Points
- ⚡ Nurhadi removed after 260 children hospitalized in one week
- 🔍 Salmonella found in eggs from Jakarta vendor
- 💡 Programme now serves 23 million students nationwide
In a televised address on Tuesday, Prabowo acknowledged “serious lapses” and announced the formation of an independent food safety task force led by epidemiologist Dr. Sri Mulyani. The panel will audit all 15,000 meal suppliers by November, with unannounced inspections beginning next month.
💡 Pro Tip
Parents should report any unusual symptoms in children—such as nausea or dizziness—within 48 hours to local health hotlines, as early treatment can prevent severe complications.
Opposition leaders have seized on the crisis to challenge Prabowo’s flagship policy. “This is not just about eggs or vendors,” said Megawati Sukarnoputri, chair of the Democratic Party. “It’s about a programme built on sand, rushed into implementation without the infrastructure to protect our children.”
- Emergency response — Health teams dispatched to 147 schools within 12 hours of first report
- Procurement freeze — All egg-based meals suspended pending supplier audits
- Task force launch — Independent panel to review 15,000 suppliers by November
The scandal has also rattled markets, with shares of poultry giant PT Cipta Karya Tbk dropping 8% since the poisonings were linked to their subsidiary’s distribution network. The company has denied negligence, blaming a “rogue batch” of contaminated feed.
- 📊 23 million students rely on the programme daily, making oversight scale critical
- 🔍 Independent audits could expose further procurement risks beyond eggs
- ⚠️ Public trust in the scheme may take years to recover despite reforms
As investigations deepen, Nurhadi’s dismissal signals a rare moment of accountability in Indonesia’s notoriously opaque bureaucracy. Yet analysts warn that without sustained pressure, structural flaws in the programme will persist—leaving millions of children vulnerable to the next avoidable crisis.