Since 2021, Sasakpanjang Village in Tajurhalang District, Bogor Regency, has become one of the villages assisted by the Faculty of Pharmacy (FF) of Universitas Indonesia (UI). Several community service (pengmas) activities and programs have been implemented in Sasakpanjang Village – starting from free Covid-19 vaccination, health education, to the use and processing of the results of cultivation of Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA). TOGA cultivation is carried out because it provides benefits in the health sector and has quite high economic value.
After conducting education regarding TOGA cultivation last July, the FFUI Community Service Team carried out further community service, which was education on distribution permits and halal certification for household processed food/drink products, at the Sasakpanjang Village Hall, on Saturday (4/11). This education was carried out in order to increase the marketing and selling value of TOGA products that have been cultivated by the local community. There were two resource persons presented in this activity; apt. Ayusya Dian Paramita, S.Farm from the Directorate of Community Empowerment and Processed Food Business Actors BPOM; as well as apt. Ratika Rahmasari, M.Pharm.Sc, Ph.D., Lecturer at the UI Faculty of Pharmacy who is also a representative of the UI Halal Center (UIHC).
In her presentation, apt. Ayusya said that in Indonesia, the types of food distributed and traded in labeled packaging are divided into two, namely fresh food and processed food. “Fresh food includes fresh food from plants (PSAT), fresh food from animals (PSAH), and fresh food from fish (PSAI). PSAT and PSAH are registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, while PSAI is registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Processed food, one of which is home industrial food, is given a Production Permit for Home Industrial Food Production Certificate (SPP-IRT),” said apt. Ayusya.
She further said that examples of processed foods that have received SPP-IRT Production Permits include processed dried meat products (beef floss and beef jerky), processed fishery products (fish floss and fish chips), dry coffee and tea (coffee powder), and so forth. Meanwhile, processed food that is not required to have a BPOM distribution permit and SPP-IRT Production Permit, include food whose shelf life is less than 7 days, imported in small quantities, used further as raw materials, processed food in large quantities, and not sold directly to final consumers, processed and packaged in front of the buyer, as well as ready-to-eat food.
Meanwhile, apt. Ratika said that halal certification is an acknowledgment of the halalness of a product issued by the The Halal Product Assurance Organizing Body (BPJPH) based on a written halal fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). “This halal certification has benefits, namely guaranteeing the protection rights of Muslim consumers, fulfilling government standards and increasing product value. The condition for a product to be declared halal is if it meets the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH). This SJPH contains several criteria, such as commitment and responsibility, materials, halal product processes, location/venue, equipment and tools, monitoring and evaluation,” said apt. Ratika.
From this activity, it is hoped that the residents of Sasakpanjang Village can be economically independent, become a developed village, and provide great benefits to the surrounding environment. So far, the villagers have produced many of their own food products, such as vegetables, freshwater fish, and cultivated herbal plants. Based on the results of the team’s interviews with residents, they said that each resident who is a business actor gets various profits, ranging from IDR 500,000 to IDR 4,000,000 per month.
This activity was also attended by the Dean of FFUI Prof. Dr. apt. Arry Yanuar, M.Si.; Vice Dean for Research, Education and Student Affairs FFUI Prof. Dr. apt. Fadlina Chany Saputri, M.Si.; and the community service team consisting of Dr. apt. Febrina Amelia Saputri, M. Farm., and apt. Roshamur Cahyan Forestrania, M.Sc., Ph.D. Apart from that, this activity was also attended by lecturers, academic staff, and FFUI students.
“The high enthusiasm of the village residents should be appreciated, even Sasakpanjang Village already has a village business unit which will be more flexible and develop further in managing its business. From this effort we hope to improve the welfare of the community, especially the village residents themselves. UI is fully committed to developing Sasakpanjang Village to become a developed village. UI also has a UI Halal Center which, in the future, can educate the public about how important it is for food products to have halal certification, especially for Muslim consumers,” said Prof. Arry Yanuar.
