Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has disclosed the cause behind the mass poisoning of hundreds of students in Bogor who had consumed the Free Nutritious Meal program at school.
As of May 11, 2025, a total of 210 students were reported to have shown symptoms of food poisoning.
Dadan described the incident in Bogor as a new type of case. Unlike previous cases in Cianjur, Bogor, or other regions, symptoms did not appear immediately after consumption.
"So it was a slow reaction. They ate on Tuesday, but the reaction was only known on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday," Dadan explained during a press conference held at the Ombudsman Building in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Laboratory tests conducted on the food samples revealed that the poisoning was caused by contamination with Salmonella and E. coli bacteria found in raw ingredients such as eggs and vegetables, which were used in the meal preparation for students ranging from kindergarten to high school.
Dadan said that Bina Insani's Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG), the kitchen responsible for preparing the meals in Bogor, has temporarily shut down its operations. "So this is a warning for them to make improvements," he stated.
He also noted that the government had extended aid to the affected students, although this support did not come from the BGN directly.
"So there are some patients that we have visited, not from the BGN for the time being, these are personal," he said, without elaborating on the nature or purpose of this personal assistance.
Regarding the provision of insurance coverage, Dadan said that the government is still in the early stages of discussing the idea, which was initially proposed by the Financial Services Authority (OJK).
He emphasized that a more comprehensive assessment is needed, especially since no clear model for such a scheme exists either in Indonesia or abroad.
"To be honest, we are not headed in that direction yet (providing insurance) because it has not been intensively discussed," Dadan said, adding that the issue has yet to be brought to President Prabowo Subianto for deliberation.