Food Innovation Initiation in Food Product Development Course

By Ria Ayu Pramudita

Editor Ria Ayu Pramudita

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id -- Food Product Development course from ITB's Chemical Engineering study program held a Food Product Exhibition on Friday (04/05/12) in Labtek X ITB. This exhibition presented food products created by the students as a final project from the course, guided by Dr. Yazid Bindar. There were food products nowhere else to be found, from chocolate-soursop jams, fruit brownies, vegetable breads, to jellies made of traditional herbs.

Food Product Development was a course weighed 2 credits from ITB's Chemical Engineering study program. The main subject of the course was basically Chemical Engineering students from Food Technology subprogram. However, because of its wide application, this course gained interests from other students such as those from Industrial Engineering and Biology study programs. "I attended the course because I want to develop food products in the future," said Ratih Hardian (Industrial Engineering 2008) who presented Chocolate and Friends.

As a final project, the students are asked to design and develop a food product idea which was then brought into real product and presented in the annual exhibition. This year, the exhibition was divided into 2 batches, while the previous batch was held a week before. Other students were invited to come to the exhibition and try the products for free.

There was Chocolate and Friends, a chocolate jam product combined with other fruits, such as soursop and Malang apple. There was also Rainbow Fruities, brownies made not of chocolates, but of oranges, melons, jackfruits, and mangoes. The color wasn't chocolate either, it was following the natural color of the fruits. Beside that, also presented green and orange breads made of spinaches and carrots. Herbs were also showed up as a jelly made of milk, gingers, lemongrasses, and other herbs.

Priska Andini (Chemical Engineering 2009) explained her motivation in joining the course, "I want to learn how to do a food product diversification. I found out the hardest part was to get the innovation idea." Although her team was going through a long and exhausting food product development process, none of that became a problem because of their passion about the subject.

The visitor was enthusiastic about the exhibition, not only because the good food, but also the fact that the food was free. While enjoying the food products presented, the visitor talked with the creator and gave some feedbacks by filling the questionnaire.

Who knows, one of the products presented in the exhibition will become a lead product in the future market?