ITS KPU Director Tri Joko Wahyu Adi ST MT Ph.D. (right) received the First Best Award in the 2022 National KHAS Zone from the Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Dante Saksono Harbuwono SpPD Ph.D. KEMD (center)

Campus ITS, ITS News – The existence of innovation and improvement in the quality of all aspects carried out by the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) towards the ITS Central Canteen finally bore sweet fruit. The ITS Central Canteen has been named the first best in the Higher Education Institution (PT) category as a Snack Food Center/Canteen that Meets Sanitation Hygiene Requirements in 2022 for the National Halal, Safe and Healthy Culinary Zone (KHAS) award, Wednesday (23/11).

They were organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) and the National Sharia Economic and Financial Committee (KNEKS). The KHAS Zone program aims to support the availability of halal food and ensure food safety and health. In its assessment, KNEKS also collaborated with the Provincial Health Office (Dinkes) and City Health Office to find culinary locations that fit the KHAS Zone criteria.

Responding to this proud achievement, ITS Director of Cooperation and Business Management (DKPU) Tri Joko Wahyu Adi ST MT Ph.D. explained that before joining the KHAS Zone, culinary locations must meet several main criteria. “The first thing is that culinary locations must meet hygiene and sanitation standards,” he said.

(from left) ITS KPU Director Tri Joko Wahyu Adi ST MT Ph.D. and Head of UPT Public Facilities ITS Nugroho Priyo Negoro ST ME MT show the KHAS Zone award in Jakarta

The sanitation hygiene standard means food in culinary locations is guaranteed clean from contamination. At ITS, according to Tri Joko, this was proven by the stickerization of guidance by the Surabaya City Health Office regarding food hygiene and sanitation in the canteen. If this standard has been met, it will continue to fulfill the following criteria, namely halal certification and culinary location innovation.

The ITS Civil Engineering Department lecturer added that halal certification at the ITS Central Canteen has its advantages. That’s because all existing booths have been fostered and trained by the ITS Halal Study Center regarding the process and presentation of food according to halal requirements by the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH). “From this halalness, the canteen received an extraordinary response from many people, so it also has a positive impact on canteen income,” he said.

Not enough to stop there, ITS has also implemented several innovations in its canteen. The first innovation made by ITS was renovating the canteen to make it more excellent and more comfortable, as well as creating a Very Important Person (VIP) room. “The room is also facilitated with supporting furniture, so it can be used for academic community meetings or outside parties while tasting food from our booth (ITS cafeteria, red),” he added.

Another innovation applied to the ITS Central Canteen is the systematic financial management of each food stand. With the cashless method in the payment system, the food booth income on that day can be accumulated immediately. The net income received by the seller and the income received by ITS has been organized. “With this system, DKPU can also monitor the progress of canteen food booth sales,” he said.

In addition, there is also an innovation in the form of a waste bank. Reviewing the existence of the ITS Smart Eco Campus program, which provides a waste bank, the facility is then used and implemented in the canteen. The waste bank is also intended so that the management of all waste in the canteen can be managed properly.

In addition to the criteria for fulfilling halal certification, sanitation hygiene standards, and applied innovations, other main criteria must be met. Among other things, culinary locations must be close to a place of worship at least 500 meters or have a place of worship at that location. There are also at least 10 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in it, as well as the use of good names for culinary locations and MSMEs.

(from left) ITS KPU Director Tri Joko Wahyu Adi ST MT Ph.D. with Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi and Head of UPT Public Facilities ITS Nugroho Priyo Negoro ST ME MT after receiving the KHAS Zone award in Jakarta

Fulfilling all existing criteria for integration into the KHAS Zone by the ITS Central Canteen made the East Java Provincial Health Office (East Java) propose the ITS Central Canteen as a KHAS Zone representing East Java Province to advance in the national level KHAS Zone. The Ministry of Health also carried out validation to conduct an assessment last September.

Coupled with various other culinary locations, such as the Culinary Tourism Center (SWK) around the campus, it makes the assessment tight to choose a suitable place to be awarded the KHAS Zone. However, the fulfillment of the criteria and the good systematics and management of the ITS Central Canteen makes it superior. Thus, the ITS Central Canteen was awarded the KHAS Zone award at the national level.

With this achievement, Tri Joko was motivated so that other canteens at ITS could also be integrated into the KHAS Zone. “I also hope that with this award, ITS Canteen can be better known and become the right choice to enjoy a variety of foods and existing facilities,” he concluded. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Nabila Hisanah Yusri