Dr. Rachma Wikandari, a lecturer from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FTP UGM), has successfully received the Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award.
This award was granted for her dedicated research on microprotein developed from soybean boiling water.
Dr. Wikandari has been conducting research on microproteins for approximately four years. According to her, microproteins are an alternative protein with nutritional content between meat and soybeans.
Its amino acid content is also more complete than that of soybeans. Microprotein itself is made from the mycelium of tempeh mushrooms grown in a liquid medium.
The harvested texture resembles dough, making it easy to shape into forms like meatballs or sausages.
“However, there is still a need for development to make the texture of the harvested product similar to chicken meat,” Dr. Wikandari said on Tuesday (Feb. 4).
Regarding her expertise in food processing, Dr. Wikandari mentioned that this microprotein’s advantages go beyond its nutritional value.
The production process is relatively short, taking just two days, and the yield can be up to one kilogram. Moreover, the reactor needed is only 1×1 meters in size, making it space-efficient.
“The enzymes it contains can grow on various substrates, such as soybean boiling water,” she explained.
She added that in addition to its nutritional benefits, microprotein production can help address the waste problem generated by the tempeh industry and increase income for tempeh vendors.
Currently, Dr. Wikandari is working on a sterilization model for the medium, and further research is being conducted on the reactor to simplify it for commercialization.
Dr. Wikandari’s research not only led her to win the Hitachi Award but also earned her several other awards, including the L’Oreal – Unesco for Women in Science National Fellowship 2024 Award Academy.
Dr. Wikandari noted that this award motivated her even more to continue making tangible contributions to society. She acknowledged that introducing this research to the public posed its challenges.
The lecturer explained that Indonesian society tends to be resistant to new food products, a phenomenon known as food neophobia. However, the mushrooms used in microprotein are the same as those found in tempeh, so there is no need to be concerned about consuming microprotein products.
“It does need to be cooked beforehand, as it contains RNA that could potentially cause gout, but the microprotein product is safe to consume, just like tempeh,” she said.
In December 2024, Dr. Wikandari introduced microprotein to the public by collaborating with a chef to prepare it as spaghetti. The public response was positive, and many enjoyed the microprotein dish. They remarked that its texture was similar to sausage.
Dr. Wikandari hopes that the research on alternative food potential she has developed can help solve societal problems by exploring and utilizing local food resources.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photos by: Firsto and Shutterstock