By: Nurul Ezzaty Mohd Azhari
Photo: Saleha Harun

SERDANG, June 21 – By showcasing innovative wrapping techniques for nasi lemak packaging and utilising palm coconut milk, a group of students from the Faculty of Food Science and Technology (FSTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), has emerged as champion in the Hari Pengenalan Produk Baharu FSTM 2023 (FSTM New Product Introduction Day 2023).

This victory enabled the Mak-Zee Sdn Bhd team, led by the Bachelor of Food Science and Technology student, Mas Amalia Mohd Effendi, to take home a prize money of RM 2,000.

She said the idea originated from her love for traditional Malay cuisine, specifically nasi lemak, which has a short shelf life when wrapped together with cucumber and sambal.

"We have made efforts to extend the shelf life of nasi lemak at room temperature to address the issue of it being perishable, while also bringing a new twist to the packaging.

"The use of palm coconut milk instead of coconut milk provides health benefits to consumers as palm coconut milk is cholesterol-free and trans-fat free," she said.

Furthermore, the unique folding technique of the nasi lemak without using staples, along with the use of biodegradable plastic in separating the rice, sambal, and cucumber, ensures that the nasi lemak stays fresh for a longer period.

She said this during the FSTM’s New Product Introduction Day 2023 event at the Food Technology Lecture Hall, FSTM, here today.

The programme, themed 'Inovasi Penggerak Industri Makanan' (Innovation Driving the Food Industry), focused on addressing challenges faced by the food industry, such as extending shelf life and improving the physicochemical properties and nutritional content of products in general.

Mas Amalia, a third-year student, expressed her surprise and disbelief that their food innovation, created together with her seven team members, managed to capture the hearts of the judges, who are prominent in the food industry.

"For nearly 14 weeks, my team and I worked tirelessly to complete this product, and there were many moments when I felt discouraged and wanted to abandon the project. Even at the last minute, we were still editing the video for this food project.

"I saw that the other teams were all strong competitors. So I never expected our team to become the champion, especially since we faced a shortage of materials for microbiological assessment and our lab testing had previously failed. So we had to do it again," she explained. -UPM

Date of Input: 23/06/2023 | Updated: 27/06/2023 | hairul_nizam