UNS — The Community Service Team (PKM) from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta has developed an innovative way to process jackfruit seeds into a healthy snack to prevent anemia, offering a unique option for the community. This program is led by M. Nur Dewi Kartikasari, S.ST., M.Kes., and includes team members Dr. Sri Anggarini Parwatiningsih, S.SiT., M.Kes., Gusti Ananda Syahputri, S.TP., M.Sc., Vivin Sulistyowati, S.E., M.M., along with students Nazhifa Anindya Raissa Dewanti, Samudraning Pramesti, Nailah Atina Rifda, and Nasha Al Aisda.

Lecturers from the D3 Midwifery Program collaborated with faculty from the D3 Agricultural Product Technology (THP) and D3 Business Management at UNS’s Vocational School and stated that their idea stemmed from seeing how many jackfruit seeds go to waste. “It’s a pity that so many jackfruit seeds are wasted. They have great potential to be transformed into various food products,” Dewi shared, noting the abundance of discarded jackfruit seeds in local markets.

Typically regarded as waste, jackfruit seeds hold substantial potential as ingredients for nutritious and delicious food products. Launched in April 2024, this program involved guiding local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to transform jackfruit seeds, often seen as waste, into appealing, economically valuable food products.

The project began with discussions with Arva Rochmawati, owner of the SME Syukaaza Food Nusantara, whose flagship product is banana chips. The UNS PKM team assisted in enhancing the healthiness and shelf life of chips using a spinner device and explored diversifying jackfruit seeds into chips. However, through a process of trial and error, the team found a new approach: transforming jackfruit seeds into serundeng (a traditional Indonesian dish made from shredded coconut and spices).

The process of making serundeng from jackfruit seeds is simple but requires patience. The seeds are cleaned, oven-dried, finely ground, and then mixed with selected spices to create a savory, crunchy serundeng.

“To make cookies, we blend the finely ground jackfruit seeds with flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients. The dough is then shaped and baked until golden,” Arva Rochmawati, owner of Syukaaza Snack, explained.

These products were introduced at the Vokasi Vaganza Expo, an exhibition held as part of UNS’s Vocational School Dies Natalies celebrations, where they received positive feedback from the public. Many were curious about the taste of serundeng and cookies made from jackfruit seeds. “The taste is unique, unlike traditional serundeng, and the texture is crispy,” Ningsih, a local food enthusiast, said.

M. Nur Dewi Kartikasari, S.ST., M.Kes., expressed hope that this success in turning jackfruit seeds into high-value food products will inspire others to get creative with local ingredients. Additionally, this innovation could increase the market value of jackfruit and reduce food waste.

“I hope that jackfruit seed products can eventually reach broader markets, locally and nationally. These could also become a distinctive souvenir from our region, recognized by many,” Dewi shared with uns.ac.id on Monday (11/11/2024).

This initiative supports the 12th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Responsible Consumption and Production by utilizing readily available local materials that were previously undervalued.

HUMAS UNS