UNAIR NEWS – The Covid-19 pandemic has indirectly inspired many new business establishments in the culinary field with a take-away system. However, many of these business practitioners still have limited knowledge and awareness regarding the food production process, food preservation, food additives, and the choice of food packaging used.
Seeing this social phenomenon, a community service team of the Faculty of Pharmacy Universitas Airlangga (FF UNAIR) was inspired to conduct an education and dissemination program. The FF UNAIR community service team, in collaboration with the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI) Balikpapan and the Department of Industry, Trade, Cooperatives and SMEs (Disperindagkop), conducted a community service targeting MSMEs and Home Industry Food Products (PIRT) practitioners in Balikpapan last Saturday, July 10, 2021.
“This Community Service Program is an implementation of one of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education’s pillars, in addition to education and research,” explained the Head of FF UNAIR Community Service Team, Dr. Juni Ekowati, Apt., MSi.
Dr. Juni said that community service is a regular activity of FF UNAIR, which this time was carried out online. The Community Service aims to help increase participants’ knowledge through education, find solutions, and strengthen the ability of partner groups in Balikpapan.
“It can improve product quality on an ongoing basis to increase the marketing of MSME products that are safe for health, as a strategy to improve our health and body resilience during the pandemic,” she said.
The choice of Balikpapan as the target for community service is because Balikpapan is one of the most developed cities with a rising economy. The number of MSMEs in Balikpapan until 2019 reached 21,410, half of which were SMEs in the culinary or food sector.
“There are still many MSME partners who do not know the regulation on the use of food additives (BTP) in food products. There’s a lack of understanding and awareness on aspects of Good Processed Food Production Methods (CPPOB), safe selection and dosage of BTP,” she said.
Seeing the great potential of MSMEs and PIRT practitioners in Balikpapan, a collaboration in implementing community service activities was carried out with a pharmacist professional organization, the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI) Balikpapan, with Chairman Dra. Hasnah Haerani, Apt. M.Kes. IAI members are mostly involved in developing food MSMEs, both at the Food and Drug Monitoring Workshop (POM) and the Balikpapan City Health Office.
At the end, Dr. Juni hoped that this collaboration could be continued further between health agencies in Balikpapan and FF UNAIR, especially related to masters and doctoral degree education for health workers or pharmacists in Balikpapan.
Broadly speaking, there were three materials presented by the FF UNAIR Community Service team. The first material was “Good Food Production Methods for Home Industries” with Prof. Dr. Sugijanto, MS., Apt. The second material was about “The Use of Food Additives (Sweeteners, Preservatives, Colorants) that are safe and following regulations” with Prof. Dr. Noor Erma Nasution, MS., Apt. The last material was “Aspects of food packaging safety” with Dr. Juni Ekowati, MSi., Apt. (*)
Author: Sandi Prabowo
Editor : Binti Q. Masruroh
