A team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students has successfully developed an innovative device for automatic milking and pasteurization called Pasto-Milk. The device is designed to support Sapera goat farmers in producing ready-to-consume milk that is more hygienic, nutritious, and has a higher market value.
“With the use of Pasto-Milk, milk nutrients can be better preserved and its shelf life extended,” said Anisa Tsania Veren, a team member from the Faculty of Animal Science (Animal Science UGM), on Tuesday (Sep. 23).
Orchidia Ummu Tazkiah, a student of Mechanical Engineering Technology, explained that Pasto-Milk was developed to address the challenges faced by partner farmers in milking and processing goat milk.
The device integrates two essential stages, which are milking and pasteurization, to make it easier for farmers to produce milk that meets higher quality standards.
“We hope this tool can improve farmers’ efficiency while ensuring milk quality,” she stated.
Technically, the device is equipped with teat cups attached to the goat’s udder or milk-producing glands located on the lower body.
Muhammad Faris Mumtaza Ahsan, a student of Food and Agricultural Product Technology, explained that the extracted milk is pumped into a closed tank to prevent contamination and then into the final container after undergoing pasteurization using a diaphragm pump.
The pasteurization process employs the High Temperature Short Time (HTST) method at 72°C, a proven effective method for preserving nutrients while extending shelf life.
“The HTST method is effective in producing milk that is safer for consumption,” said Faris.
Another advantage of Pasto-Milk is its control panel and sensor system, which make operation more practical.
Rifa’i Ma’ruf, a student of Electrical Engineering Technology, explained that the sensor automatically activates once the pasteurization process is completed, minimizing the risk of human error.
“This innovation allows farmers to focus more on business development without worrying about milk quality declining,” he added.
Pasto-Milk was developed through cross-disciplinary collaboration under the Student Creativity Program for Science and Technology Application (PKM-PI).
The team consists of Orchidia Ummu Tazkiah and Hasyim Fathurochman from the Mechanical Engineering Technology program, Rifa’i Ma’ruf from the Electrical Engineering Technology program, Muhammad Faris Mumtaza Ahsan from the Food and Agricultural Product Technology program, and Anisa Tsania Veren from the Animal Science and Industry program.
They were supervised by Ma’un Budiyanto, a lecturer at UGM Vocational College (SV UGM).
“The involvement of students from various study programs demonstrates UGM’s commitment to producing innovations that apply to society,” said Budiyanto.
Through this innovation, the UGM student team hopes that Pasto-Milk will not only assist farmers in production processes but also enhance the competitiveness of dairy products in the market.
“We want this innovation to bring broad benefits to society while serving as UGM’s tangible contribution to strengthening national food self-sufficiency,” concluded Hasyim Fathurochman.
Contributor: PKM-PI Pasto-Milk Team
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya