Lecturers at Universitas Ahmad Dahlan conducted research by cultivating seaweed into gelatin flour and halal capsules. This product is continuously improved to be marketed to a number of partners.
The lecturers involved in this research were Dr. Ing. Suhendra S.T., M.Sc. and Dr. Ir. Zahrul Mufrodi S.T., M.T, IPM. from chemical engineering study program. Products made from this research were gelatin flour and halal capsules. The team collaborated with CV Andalusia in Cirebon, West Java.
Suhendra describes that gelatin has been used for beverages and pharmacy. However, most gelatin is produced from animal ingredients.“Most of the animal gelatin products are made from pork. Examples of products used are capsules for medicinal or herbal shells, the majority of which are made from animal raw materials and are not halal,” he said in a release.
According to him, world community attention nowadays is currently increasing on products made from vegetable and halal raw materials. Including vegetable-based gelatin which is increasingly sought after. One of the raw materials for gelatin is seaweed, which is abundant in Indonesia. Until now, most of the halal gelatin flour and capsules come from imports.
“Previously, preliminary research was conducted at UAD and received international recognition. We continue the previous program with the target of making gelatin flour and capsules,” he said.
The result of gelatin flour produced will be used for simple food products so the results of product consistency are well accepted by the market. The proposed capsule products will be tested for consistency and analyzed for production on a larger scale to achieve an economic level worth selling.
Zahrul added that it is hoped that this research program will lead to a business that supports the production process. At the same time can produce new business units that can accommodate workers. In addition, it can absorb more seaweed farmers’ products and offer the new quality products which are produced domestically to increase the application of the domestic component level (TKDN) in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
“The production process of gelatin flour and capsules from seaweed has been increased to a factory scale whose products can be marketed by UAD’s cooperation partners. In addition, a simple patent will be made,” he said.
One of the fields of study in the UAD Chemical Engineering Study Program is the field of food and functional nutrition. Research to examine the source of raw materials from nature to become an alternative food source and functional nutrition has long existed in the Chemical Engineering Study Program.
“Studies related to processing raw materials from the sea for food and functional nutrition that have been carried out in the UAD chemical engineering study program include processing macroalgae [seaweed] and microalgae. Research on macroalgae has been carried out several times by lecturers and students. One of the best momentums in the chemical engineering study program is that since 2018, research has been carried out on the processing and potential use of grass to be produced into halal capsule shells,” said Suhendra.
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