Tens of SMKN 11 Semarang Students Vomit After Eating MBG

Illustration - preparation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program menu. ANTARA/Rivan Awal Lingga

SEMARANG - A total of 75 students of the State Vocational School (SMK) 11 Semarang reported nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and stomach pain after eating a free nutritious meal (MBG).

Head of Branch of the Central Java Education Service Region I Haris Wahyudi confirmed the incident and all students who reported it came from one school.

He explained that the incident occurred on Thursday (8/1), with symptoms beginning to be felt by students around 16.00 WIB, or a few hours after eating MBG at school.

"Around 16.00 WIB there were several students who experienced symptoms, such as nausea, then dizziness like that. That's our data of 75 children who reported," he said as reported by ANTARA, Friday, January 9.

Of the 75 students who experienced the symptoms, four students were hospitalized, and two of them were allowed to go home, while the other students only underwent treatment at home.

He said the number of students at SMKN 11 Semarang was recorded at around 1,400 people and all of them consumed the MBG menu, but only a small number reported experiencing these symptoms.

From the report received, he said, during the incident the students felt that there was something strange about the MBG menu that was distributed on that day, unlike usual days.

Moreover, the MBG program has been running since August 2025 at SMKN 11 Semarang and this is the first time such an incident has occurred.

"There are indeed reports from students that it smells a bit, it is a bit different," he said, reporting from students.

For the MBG menu consumed by students at that time, among others, rice, pumpkin stew, tofu perkedel, chicken suwir, and watermelon.

From the provisional suspicion, he said, the complaint came from chicken dishes that were considered stale, but the exact cause was still waiting for further evaluation results.

As a first step, he emphasized that the distribution of MBG at the school was temporarily stopped, while an evaluation was carried out with a number of related parties, including the Central National Nutrition Agency (BGN) team.

"So, while (MBG) is stopped, while it is being evaluated or the cause is being sought. That is only a suspicion, yes, the problem of spoiled food," he said.

What is clear, he said, his party has ensured that the handling of students has been carried out quickly, namely students who experience symptoms are immediately taken to the nearest health facility.