Food Creation and Innovation at UPH Food Explore

For the forth time, Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) Food Technology Student Body held Food Explore. This time, the annual event focusing on food innovation has been held for three days starting from Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at UPH. This year?s theme was ?Sense the Diversity: Teknologiku, Ragam JAWAku.? This theme was picked as the main ingredients used for food innovation came from the island of Java.

As usual, Rumah Inovasi (The House of Innovation) became one of the unique attractions. This booth featured 18 innovation products done by UPH students. Some of the products were Bolu Kering Biji Nangka (Boring Binang), Pohankatuk Ice Cream, Cendol Talas Nangka (Centang), Claciroot Cracker, and many more. These products used unique main ingredients, such as taro waste, jackfruit seeds, red snapper bones, that apparently contained higher nutrition than other usual ingredients. Some even used waste. Boring Binang, for example, used jackfruit seeds that were usually disposed as the main ingredients to make sponge cake. There was also Pohankatuk Ice Cream that was made of extract of katuk and pohpohan leaves. These products were displayed at Rumah Inovasi and could be tested for free.

Furthermore, the committee also held various competitions for high school and college students and seminar. The seminar held on the first day of the event was entitled ?Diversifikasi Pangan Berbasis Umbi. Ironi atau Solusi?? The seminar invited three speakers; Drs. Suratmono, MP (Director of Food Inspection and Certification), Prof. Dr. Ir. Erliza Noor (Institut Pertanian Bogor), and Ir. Yusuf Hady, MSM (Vice President of Cooperation and GAPMMI Program).

Besides seminar, there was a also an innovation competition themed ?Pake Umbi, Kenapa Engga?? for high school students. Joined by six teams from various schools, each team must make a presentation booth and innovate a tuber-based food.

?Java Island is one of the islands in Indonesia that has rich biological resources. Those resources have the potential to endure the national culinary by developing local main ingredients into a unique product without ignoring the nutrition,? explained Aileen Mulja, the head of committee, about this year?s theme. To accentuate the Java theme, the decoration and the event was wrapped up with Javanese touch.

In addition, Food Explore also featured 22 bazaar booths and music performances. (dee)

UPH Media Relations