Jakarta, Oct. 3 -- The Independent Investigation Team of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has identified nitrite as the cause of mass food poisoning that sickened 1,315 people after consuming Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) in West Bandung, West Java.

"We conclude that nitrite compounds were the cause. We detected excessively high nitrite levels in melon and lotek (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) samples collected from MBG meals at schools," head of the team, Karimah Muhammad, said here on Friday.

Nitrite is a compound naturally found in soil and food. In small amounts, it can support blood circulation, but excessive levels are harmful and known to be carcinogenic.

Karimah said her team investigated the case by interviewing patients ...