JAKARTA, April 25 -- Indonesia's ambitious free school meals programme, designed to serve 80 million children nationwide, has encountered significant challenges since its implementation.

According to the BBC, nearly 80 students from two high schools in Cianjur, south of Jakarta, were recently hospitalised after consuming meals provided through the programme, marking the latest in a series of food poisoning incidents that have raised serious concerns about food safety protocols.

Authorities investigating the Cianjur case have pointed to negligent food preparation as the suspected cause. Samples from affected students have been sent for laboratory testing, while police have questioned everyone involved in the food handling process, from c...