JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has identified food-handling and labeling violations at a kitchen. This kitchen is linked to a mass illness affecting students and Islamic boarding school pupils in Sidoarjo, East Java.

The incident began on Tuesday, September 1, after recipients at Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school and other educational institutions consumed meals. These meals were supplied under the Free Meals (MBG) program.

BGN initially recorded 512 affected recipients across 19 institutions.

The Sidoarjo Health Office later raised the cumulative figure to 730 by Thursday afternoon. This was because more students reported symptoms or sought treatment.

At that stage, 23 patients remained hospitalized, 706 had received outpatient care and one was under observation.

According to BGN’s official statement, BGN head Sudaryono said the agency’s preliminary review found inconsistencies. These involved cooking times, delivery schedules and labeling at the Kalitengah Nutrition Fulfillment Service (SPPG).

Investigators found that workers had reportedly finished cooking the meals at about 5 a.m. Under BGN’s operational guidance, recipients should have consumed them before 9 a.m.

However, staff entered a label into the monitoring system stating that they had prepared the food at 8 a.m. The label set the consumption deadline at 10 a.m. The meals reportedly arrived after 11 a.m. Additionally, recipients ate them after noon.

Sudaryono also said the nutritionist and kitchen manager did not attach an individual label to every food container (ompreng).

Staff allegedly placed one label on a container, photographed it and uploaded the image to the Radar MBG monitoring system. However, the shipment contained about 400 portions.

“It turned out that the nutritionist and kitchen manager did not label every container. They provided only one label for one person in charge. So, when they sent 400 portions, there was only one label,” Sudaryono said.

Sudaryono described the alleged breach as “deliberate negligence” because BGN had already issued operating and technical instructions.

“I repeat, this was deliberate negligence. The rules, implementation guidelines and technical instructions had been provided, but they failed to carry them out,” he said.

His statement represents BGN’s administrative assessment. Investigators and health authorities had not publicly identified anyone as criminally responsible when this article was prepared.

The procedural findings do not yet establish the precise medical cause of the illnesses.

The Sidoarjo Health Office sent food samples and material collected from patients to a health laboratory in Surabaya. Officials said the laboratory needed about one week to complete the tests.

BGN also stressed that its investigation with the local health office remained underway.

“We are conducting an investigation with the relevant Health Office. We will later announce the results and what caused the food poisoning,” BGN Deputy for Monitoring and Supervision Ketut Sumedana added.

The agency imposed a 30-day suspension on the Kalitengah SPPG and moved to replace the unit’s management.

It also ordered all SPPGs to attach a label to every meal container. This label must show the actual cooking time and consumption deadline.

Sudaryono apologized to the affected students and their families.

“As head of the BGN [National Nutrition Agency], I offer my deepest apologies for the negligence and health problems experienced by the students at the Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo,” he said.

The case now requires two parallel responses. Medical authorities must determine the exact source of the illness. BGN must ensure that every kitchen applies its safety procedures consistently before meal distribution resumes.