Indonesia's Free Meal Fiasco: A Lesson in Bureaucratic Overreach The recent spate of food poisoning incidents linked to state issued free meals in Indonesia has left many wondering about the true cost of well intentioned but poorly executed social programs.
Over 1,700 people have contracted food poisoning, and a further 50,000 were affected in separate incidents.
The Lasem incident is particularly egregious, where 752 students and 25 teachers fell ill after consuming grilled chicken that had been deemed "slimy" by a food taster.