The free meals programme has come under close scrutiny since its launch in January 2025, with investors wary of Prabowo’s big spending plans and worried that fiscal deficit thresholds could be challenged.
Prabowo has promised to forge ahead with the programme despite the concerns.
The decision to remove Dadan followed an evaluation of the agency’s performance, state secretariat minister Prasetyo Hadi told reporters late on Tuesday.
Dadan, an entomologist, will be replaced by his deputy, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who is a former journalist and was part of Prabowo’s campaigning team in the 2024 election.
“There are issues relating to discipline in implementing governance, including discipline in maintaining food quality standards, that should have been established by the National Nutrition Agency,” Prasetyo said.
The school meals programme has been linked to cases of food poisoning that have affected at least 33,000 children as of April, according to Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental organisation.
