A multidisciplinary team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students has once again achieved international recognition. The team, led by a Chemistry undergraduate student from the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM), won a silver medal after presenting a food technology innovation at the 2nd International Student Competition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on February 14–15.
The international competition, organized by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development and Graduate Marketability (CEM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), brought together participants from eight countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Syria, Somalia, and Kenya, who competed in essay and scientific paper categories. The competition was designed to encourage research-based innovation, emphasizing sustainability principles, entrepreneurial spirit, and contributions to global social impact.
The UGM student team, known as Foodscan, introduced an innovative approach to food safety testing in Indonesia, particularly to support Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), the national free nutritious meals program. Team leader Melati Putri Ramadhani, a second year student of the Chemistry Study Program of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM), explained that chemical testing in food products is still largely dominated by destructive methods that are time-consuming and damage samples. In contrast, their innovation offers a non-destructive visual image-based testing method. By utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) system, the application can detect chemical risks and contaminants simply through photographs of food products.
In addition to rapid food content detection, Foodscan integrates a blockchain system to ensure that all detection data are stored transparently and securely.
“The system enables real-time tracking of food safety history to guarantee sustainable nutrition for children,” Putri said on Thursday (Feb. 19).
Saskia Aulia Ramadhani, also a second year Chemistry Study Program student and a team member, stated that the innovation is expected to strengthen food security and sustainable nutrition for children by monitoring food safety within the MBG program and preventing diseases caused by hazardous chemical contamination in food through early AI-based detection.
“We plan to further develop this advanced technological innovation by integrating AI, CNN, and blockchain in the food safety industry, as well as establishing international collaborations with fellow participants from this competition,” she said.
Saskia acknowledged that the team’s success in securing the silver medal was made possible through the guidance of Mokhammad Fajar Pradipta, a lecturer at the Department of Chemistry FMIPA UGM, and the hard work of members from various disciplines at UGM. In addition to Melati and Saskia, the team includes Nisrina Athyra Karimah from the Nutrition Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM); Sahda Huwaidah Estiningtyas from the Statistics Study Program FMIPA UGM; and Naufal Septio Fathurrahman from the Information Technology Study Program, Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM).
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photograph: Foodscan Documentation