ITB Student Team Wins Bronze Medal at AGREETION 2025 through Jelly Candy Innovation Made from Banana Peel Waste
By Helga Evangelina - Mahasiswa Rekayasa Pertanian, 2021
Editor Anggun Nindita
JATINANGOR, itb.ac.id – Three students from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), namely Rodo Samuel Samosir and Naura Meila Syahfir from the Agricultural Engineering study program at the School of Life Sciences and Technology – Engineering (SLST-E), and Jefri Gunawan from the Food Engineering study program at the Faculty of Industrial Technology (FIT), successfully won a bronze medal at the international Agritech Research and Entrepreneurship Innovation Competition (AGREETION) 2025. The competition was organized by the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, in collaboration with the Agritech Research and Study Club (ARSC) and the Agritechno Business Centre (ABC).
AGREETION 2025 took place from February to April 2025 under the theme “Innovating Agro-Industry and Agriculture Towards a Sustainable and Clean Future.” This competition was attended by around 80 participants from various countries such as Indonesia, India, and Malaysia.
Their team, named WinPis (Winning Pisang), chose the sub-theme “Sustainable Food Innovation” with a project titled “Vitamin A-Rich Jelly Candy from Tongka Langit Banana (Musa troglodytarum) Peel and Harum Manis Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Extract.”
The WinPis team was supervised by Dr. Ir. Eri Mustari, MP., a lecturer from the Plant Science and Biotechnology Research Group. Their work addressed the issue of banana peel waste, which has not been optimally utilized. The Tongka Langit banana peel, which is usually discarded, is rich in vitamin A, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals.
Through this innovation, the waste was processed into jelly candy with the addition of Harum Manis mango extract as a natural flavor and a source of vitamin C.
This product is designed to be a solution to help address vitamin A deficiency in Indonesian children, particularly those over five years old. With its high vitamin A content, the product is hoped to support eye health, boost the immune system, and serve as a natural antioxidant.
After conducting research and literature review, the team carried out experiments that formed the basis for their scientific paper. The jelly candy was made through a step-by-step process, starting from soaking the banana peel in saltwater, extraction, mixing with gelatin and mango extract, cooling, molding, and drying at 60°C for 36 hours.
The experiments were repeated several times to produce a final product that met the quality standards of jelly candy. Despite facing limitations in equipment, the WinPis team managed to complete the entire process well until producing a consumable final product.
It is hoped that this innovation will not stop at the competition stage, but can be further developed into a commercial product that supports improved community nutrition while also reducing food waste.
“I hope this paper can inspire many people to continue creating innovative solutions, especially for improving children's health and preserving the environment. On the other hand, I also hope this project can be realized in the future and has the potential to become a promising business,” said Rodo on Monday (May 26, 2025).
Reporter: Helga Evangelina (Agricultural Engineering, 2021)
Translator: Yafi Amri (Meteorology, 2021)
