Three students from Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana’s (UKDW) Faculty of Biotechnology achieved success in the Science Poster Competition, a part of The 24th Food Science Student Conference (FOSTER) 2024 event. Led by Yoga Angkawijaya Kristiawan, the team, including Ellena Gracia and Eunike Harjanto, under the guidance of their lecturer Catarina Aprilia Ariestanti, S.T.P., M.Sc., clinched the championship with their scientific poster titled “Utilization of Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Peel Waste as a Source of Antioxidants for Antidiabetic Potential through Encapsulation Method with Spray Drying.”

FOSTER is an annual event hosted by the Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP) at Soegijapranata Catholic University. It offers a platform for participants to share their research findings, experiences, and discoveries. Additionally, FOSTER 2024 is part of the “5th International Conference on Sustainable Global Agriculture and Food (ICSAF)” series, jointly organized by Soegijapranata Catholic University, Saigon Technology University (Vietnam), Assumption University (Thailand), and Fu Jen Catholic University (Taiwan).

This international conference aims to foster knowledge and technology exchange among academics, scientists, practitioners, and students interested in food science. With the theme “Future Foods: Innovation and Sustainability,” this year’s conference highlights innovation and sustainable food product development.

Yoga Angkawijaya noted that the UKDW team’s success showcased their innovation in using pineapple peel waste as a source of antioxidants with antidiabetic potential through encapsulation using spray drying. This achievement underscores UKDW students’ capacity to generate innovative and sustainable solutions in the food sector. “This victory reflects the competence and creativity of UKDW students in addressing food challenges in line with the theme of ICSAF 2024, ‘Future Foods: Innovation and Sustainability.’ We hope this inspires other students to continue innovating and contributing to a sustainable future for food,” he concluded. [F.Bio/YAK/Eng.drr]