Indonesia free meal scheme major cause of food poisoning: govt

Jakarta: TheIndonesian government s hallmark programme to provide free meals to combat malnutrition in the country has contributed to nearly half of f...

Jakarta: The Indonesian government's hallmark programme to provide free meals to combat malnutrition in the country has contributed to nearly half of food poisoning cases this year, an official told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Thousands of people have been sick since the much-hyped billion-dollar scheme of President Prabowo Subianto was launched in January, with critics calling for its suspension over hygiene concerns.

Dadan Hindayana, head of the national BGN agency which oversees the programme, told parliament that more than 11,000 people suffered from food poisoning across Indonesia since the launch, including over 600 who were hospitalised.

Out of 441 recorded incidents of food poisoning, "the free meal programme accounts for 211 incidents, or 48 percent of these cases," he said.

Each incident could involve numerous people affected, sometimes in the thousands.