February 6, 2026 | 10:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) revealed the cause of mass poisoning among hundreds of students at State Senior High School or SMAN 2 Kudus, Central Java, after consuming free nutritious meals (MBG). The incident was caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination in the soto soup and sambal served to students.
Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, Deputy Head of BGN for Public Communication and Investigation, stated that laboratory tests from the Central Java Provincial Health Office confirmed the presence of E. coli in the food.
"The laboratory test results indicate the presence of E. coli bacteria in the soto soup and sambal," Nanik said in a statement on Friday, February 6, 2026.
BGN also investigated the food processing facility. Findings showed that the Purwosari Nutrition Fulfillment Service (SPPG) kitchen, responsible for producing and distributing the meals, failed to meet standards for suitability, sanitation, and hygiene.
According to Nanik, these findings prove that the MBG implementation in Kudus faced significant issues requiring serious evaluation. She emphasized that the incident should serve as a warning for all program implementers. "The standards of kitchen cleanliness and food safety cannot be compromised," she added.
BGN will tighten supervision and enforce standard operating procedures (SOP) for kitchen providers. Technical assistance will be strengthened to prevent recurring incidents. "We will continue to evaluate and improve to ensure that poisoning incidents like this do not recur," Nanik stated.
Previously, 131 students at SMA Negeri 2 Kudus suffered poisoning after consuming the meals. Hundreds received medical treatment on Thursday, January 29, 2026. Of those referred to the hospital that day, 47 students required hospitalization.
Read: Indonesia's Purbaya Mulls Reallocating Unspent Free Nutritious Meal Budget
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