Food Explore 10 Invites People to Care about the Quality of Processed Foods

The problem of the food processing is the concern of Food Technology Study Program Universitas Pelita Harapan (Foodtech-UPH) in FOOD EXPLORE 10 event on 1-3 November 2017.

FOOD EXPLORE 10 is the theme of “Food Processing and Quality Enhancement” which aims to educate the public about what is the correctly and properly food processing and also the information about the food quality improvement that can be obtained from good food processing. This is useful for public perception of the food processing process improvement.

In the opening ceremony of the FOOD EXPLORE 10, UHS Faculty of Science and Technology (FAST) UPH, Eric Jobiliong Ph.D., is also concerned about the lack of public awareness of the issue. According to Eric, many foods that we consume daily is the food that has been processed (processed). But often we miss paying attention to the quality of processed foods that we consume. Therefore, through the event of FOOD EXPLORE, he hopes to have a positive impact on the community in UPH and society, in terms of correctly and properly food processing, in order to improve the quality of food.

While chairman of Prodi Foodtech UPH, Ir.Wilbur Donald R. Pokatong, M.Sc., Ph.D., in the opportunity mentioned the active role of Prodi Foodtech in producing quality food products.

“Food Processing and Quality Enhancement’ theme has been very precise and important in the process of guaranteeing the quality of food to produce food products including the possibility of improving product quality. Expected through the activities of the FOOD EXPLORE event can dismiss the mistaken opinion of the consumers that food processing will produce the unhealthy products, “said Donald.

Donald added that the Indonesian state is an agricultural country with a huge food source and the development of the food technology in the future will continue to grow so that the food technology will always exist and grow.

There are many activities presented at this event, such as the 19 Food Innovation 19Foodtech exhibition at ‘Rumah Inovasi’, the Food Debate competition, the High School Innovation Competition, the National Foodpreneur Competition which is attended by the universities from various regions, and talk shows.

This activity also invites industry partners such as Orang Tua group, Nutrifood, and Indofood. Donald himself hopes that the innovations of Foodtech’s existing students can be adopted into the industry for further development. Because in every Food Explore there is always a new food of interest.

One of the examples is Jesica Vanlen from the Food Technique class of 2015, which makes a ‘Lynca’ food innovation made from the leunca juice added with lemon and served with boiled sugar water to minimize the bitter taste of the leunca fruit itself. The reason of Vanlen makes this product is so that people more familiar with the leunca fruit and to get the benefits of high antioxidants.

Interestingly, the work produced by Nabillah Chanan Din, a student of Food Tech semester 7 International Class, made ‘Pho Chips’. This food is a calcium-fortified cracker loaded with calcium made from okra and pohpohan leaves. Armed with the observation of Indonesian people who like crackers, but the nutrients contained in crackers are still considered very less. Nabillah makes this cracker product with high calcium made from adri okra and pohpohan.

?This is especially for children because they usually do not want to drink milk but instead eating snacks that are not nutritious. So I made this product loaded with calcium, ” she said

This house of innovation is at the center of all FOOD EXPLORE 10 activities that can be visited by the public as well as tasting various food innovations and get the product benefits information for free. (tm / rh)