IPB University Homecoming Lecturer Program Provides Training on Making Goat Milk Ice Cream and Banana Flour in Cisarua Village, Purwakarta
In an effort to prevent malnutrition in children through improving the quality of snack food choices, the IPB University Homecoming Lecturer (Dospulkam) team from the Department of Science, Communication and Community Development (SKPM), Faculty of Human Ecology (Fema) and Vocational School conducted training on making goat milk ice cream and banana flour for snack vendors and vocational school students in Cisarua Village, Tegalwaru District, Purwakarta, West Java.
The IPB University Homecoming Lecturer (Dospulkam) activity, chaired by Dr Nuraini W Prasodjo, collaborates with partner Yayasan Nurani Dunia as a community companion so that the program can be sustainable. IPB University team members involved include Ani Nuraeni, SPd, MPd, Faranita Ratih L, SH, MH, Gema Parasti Mindara, SSi, MKom and Elsa Destriapani, SKPm, MSi.
Dr Nuraini Prasodjo explained, this activity was motivated by the results of the IPB University team’s previous research, that in the last decade, in rural areas that began to open and improve transportation facilities, children under five and school age have changed the pattern of most of their main food to snacks / manufactured snacks that have invaded the village. This changing food pattern has more or less resulted in nutritional imbalances, namely deficiencies in energy, protein, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
Through the training, villagers learned about food safety, food processing innovations from local resources, as well as branding healthy snacks. After the training, they are expected to produce a variety of healthy snacks on their own.
“Through this training, we hope to raise awareness as well as the ability of residents to take collective action, both at the household and community levels, while providing quality food alternatives for children,” explained Dr Nuraini Prasodjo.
The trainees, accompanied by agribusiness and entrepreneurship teachers from local vocational schools, enthusiastically participated in the training. They practiced how to make goat milk ice cream hygienically and meet food safety requirements.
The ice cream produced was soft-textured and sweetened with fruits such as banana, dragon fruit and mango. In addition, they also learned to make banana flour, which can later be used as the main ingredient in making processed foods such as various cakes, breads, porridge, or as a natural thickening agent for ice cream.
“I am really happy to join this training, I can make my own ice cream that smells fresh and tastes good, soft again. Besides being useful for my family, I can also sell it. I also learned how to make banana flour. There are many banana trees here. I will make various kinds of food from this flour,” said one of the trainees, Yayu Mariah.
In the final session of the training, IPB University lecturers handed over assistance to Yayasan Nurani Dunia in the form of four units of mixer equipment. The collaboration between IPB University lecturers and Yayasan Nurani Dunia is the first step in an effort to familiarize children with eating quality food. “Hopefully this step can have a sustainable positive impact on public health,” hoped Dr Nuraini. (*/Rz) (IAAS/SNI)
