Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has dismissed the director of the country's flagship free school meals programme following a spate of food poisoning incidents affecting thousands of children. The decision, announced late Tuesday, comes amid mounting public anger over the safety of the multibillion-dollar initiative, a cornerstone of Prabowo's campaign promises.
The fired official, whose name has not been disclosed pending an investigation, oversaw the distribution of meals to over 20 million students across the archipelago. Reports of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea emerged from at least six provinces over the past fortnight, with the worst outbreak in East Java sickening 1,200 pupils from 40 schools. Laboratory tests confirmed bacterial contamination in staple dishes including fried rice and tempeh.
"This is unacceptable. We are dealing with the physical well-being of our children, not a political calculation," Prabowo stated during a televised address. His administration has pledged to overhaul the supply chain, citing spoilage due to inadequate refrigeration and poor training among caterers. The programme, budgeted at 450 trillion rupiah ($28 billion) for 2025, aims to combat malnutrition in a country where a third of children under five are stunted.
Climate scientists note that such large-scale feeding programmes are vulnerable to rising temperatures. Indonesia's average temperature has climbed 0.8C since 1950, accelerating bacterial growth in warm, humid conditions. Dr. Helena Vance, Science and Climate Correspondent, explains: "Food safety protocols must adapt to a warming world. A 1C increase can double the risk of salmonella in certain dishes. This is not a failure of policy alone, but a failure to account for environmental shifts."
The scandal threatens Prabowo's popularity, which has waned amid economic slowdown and deforestation controversies. Experts warn that without robust monitoring, reoccurrences are likely. "The thermodynamics of food spoilage are unforgiving," Vance adds. "You cannot wish away bacterial metabolism with good intentions."
As Indonesia transitions to cleaner energy, the episode underscores the interconnectedness of climate resilience, public health and governance. The next director will inherit a system strained by both corruption and physics.
