Handover of a vacuum sealer tool, with (from right) Wiwiek Hendrowati, Maftuhin, and representatives of SMEs Sentra Ikan Bulak

ITS Campus, ITS News – The COVID-19 pandemic is not an obstacle for Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) to continue contributing to society. Like the community service team (Abmas) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering ITS, who were motivated to provide knowledge about vacuum sealers to increase the durability of processed fish products at Sentra Ikan Bulak (SIB), Surabaya.

Aida Annisa Amin Daman ST MT, who is the team leader, explained that this community service activity conducted counseling on how to package products with a vacuum sealer. “Apart from that, our team also provided a vacuum sealer tool to traders at Sentra Ikan Bulak,” she informed.

Sentra Ikan Bulak, which is located on the north coast of Surabaya, to be precise in Bulak District, is a place that houses small traders and SMEs to market processed seafood products. “Some of the products marketed are fish crackers, smoked fish, fresh fish, dried fish, and shellfish accessories,” added Aida.

In fact, continued Aida, Sentra Ikan Bulak has great potential to bring in buyers from outside the city. This is because Sentra Ikan Bulak is not only a sales place with clean and orderly conditions but also close to beach tourism spots. However, fish traders still complain that visitors are not very interested in buying fresh smoked fish and fish products.

One of the reasons behind the lack of public interest, especially those outside Surabaya, is the way of packaging products that still use ordinary plastic bags. So that buyers consider it inefficient and less hygienic because it can cause an unpleasant smell when carried in the car. “Moreover, water from fish is prone to leakage, and it does not last long when fresh fish or smoked fish are taken on a long journey,” he added.

Aida Annisa Amin Daman ST MT when explaining the benefits of a vacuum sealer

So, continued Aida, the ITS team answered these problems through this Community Service program. Counseling and providing vacuum sealers to traders at Sentra Ikan Bulak is useful for increasing the durability of fish products. This activity can potentially help improve the quality of products sold to buyers.

Aida, who was accompanied by the Head of the Automotive System and Vibration Engineering Lab (RVSO), Wiwiek Hendrowati, carried out the service activities at the end of November at the Sentra Ikan Bulak meeting room. Then there was Maftuhin, PPL of the Surabaya Agriculture and Food Security Service, who opened the event entitled Application of Vacuum Seal Technology to Increase Durability of Processed Fish Products.

During the vent, there was also a brief explanation of the benefits of a vacuum sealer for a food product resistance. The demonstration was guided by a member of the community service team, Ari Kurniawan S, where it began with an explanation of the parts of the vacuum sealer and the steps for using the tool. After listening to the tool demo, participants were invited to pack their own smoked fish and crackers using a vacuum sealer. (naj/ory/ITS Public Relations)

ITS Abmas Team when giving an explanation on the parts of the vacuum sealer