Over 300 Students in Indonesia are ill due to the consumption of free school meals.

In Indonesia’s central Java province, 365 people have fallen ill in Sragen after eating free school lunches, the largest outbreak yet linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals program.

Local authorities have suspended the initiative in the town while food samples are tested for contamination.

The nationwide program, launched in January at an estimated cost of $28 billion (£21 billion), was designed to combat child stunting and feed some 80 million schoolchildren.

However, it has faced repeated food poisoning incidents and criticism over its hefty price tag which has forced budget cuts in several ministries.

Among those affected was ninth-grader Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, who told reporters "I woke up in the night with severe stomach pain, diarrhoea, and a headache".

Soon after, he saw classmates posting on social media about suffering similar symptoms.

The suspected meal, turmeric rice, scrambled eggs, fried tempeh, cucumber salad, and milk had been prepared in a central kitchen and distributed to multiple schools in the area.

CBI News reports that the Government has pledged to cover all medical expenses of those affected.

Nationwide, more than 1,000 cases of illness have been reported since the program’s launch, raising fresh questions over its safety and management.