Agricom.id, BOGOR – The corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic gives impact to many countries whole over the world.  One same issue to face is that there is no medicine to avoid the virus. The ‘best medicine’ is the healthy food to keep the body fit and have better immunity to fight for the pathogen that attacks.

The Secretary of Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pertanian (Balitbangtan), Ministry of Agriculture, Haris Syahbuddin said that when reading the keynote speech of Head of Balitbangtan, Fadjry Djufry in the webinar within the theme “Menu Sehat Menunjang Kesehatan Masyarakat Menuju Era Industri Pangan” in Bogor, Tuesday (28/7/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

Head of Balitbangtan said that ministry of agriculture really concern about the food issues, namely in the healthy food and other things which have to do with food loss and food waste. In the recent days, the food consumption tends to change, namely in the millennial generation, Z generation, and the like. The fast foods significantly increase because of the preference change to the process food products. These generations prefer the practical, instant, reachable foods both in access and price.

Knowing these issues, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo in his series of Healthy Street Food Festival last year told that everyone needs to think and cooperate, namely the commitment of the millennial generations to get the reachable solution to implement the healthy food system in the society. Minister Syahrul also took the people to change the consumption behavior to be better, healthier, and should not waste the food.

The healthy, delicious, and full of fiber food, he continued, should be the guidance to make the food process technology in the future so that the immunity of the next generations could be well maintained within balance nutrition from the processed products they consume.

“The materials of the food processed product from the harvest, the cultivation – in order to be well processed by the industries – should maintain the continuity, quality, and capacity. If it is continuously processed, if it has good quality, the industries would not hesitate to increase their production capacity from the materials,” he said.

That is why those who research and develop should play the strategic roles in every line of process, starting from the variety technology assembling that the industries want to, the cultivation technology which is efficient in cost and optimal in harvest, the process of harvest and post – harvest, until the process technology to be products (fast food) and ready to eat. Everything is needed to fulfill the taste and preference of the consumers and market demands.

From this condition, he continued, the research and development, namely in the food plantations should act from ‘double track’ model, such as, the food fulfillment for public and industrial needs. To reach out the output, the researchers and developers in agriculture should do their collaborative and innovative researches.

“Every stakeholder should cooperate well so what they do in multidiscipline and multi-partner could run well too. Every industry should be in synergy in the first place, when the product is designed because they would advantage the research and development results of the food plantations to make their processed food that the consumers and markets demand,” he said.

Chairman of Gabungan Pengusaha Makanan dan Minuman Indonesia (GAPMMI), Adhi S. Lukman said that many developed countries develop the natural food. Indonesia itself has kinds of food plantations to produce the natural food within additional values.

“In the industries and society, the additional values are the important things for they have stories, the technology process and branding. Sometimes, the cheap plantation could be more expensive within additional values, such as, the traditional drinks,” he said.

He also thought that the people now prioritize the food safety, instagramable, and clear health benefit. The health benefit recommendation should be developed always.

In Indonesia many process products are available to maintain the health naturally. “This is our chance to develop the food plantation for the food industrial needs,” he said.

Chairman of Pengurus Besar Ikatan Dokter Indonesia (IDI), Daeng M. Faqih said that ministry of Agriculture should play the strategic roles to create the food security in our country. The indicator of a good country has something to do with the nutrient fulfillment and food security.

In the Covid-19 pandemic, the inability to consume the nutritious food gets increasing that is why, he hoped that ministry of agriculture encourages and mobilizes the people not to plant the plantations producing carbohydrate only but also the bulbs, beans, and other plantations that could minimize the effects of Covid-19.

“In the balance nutrients, there should be five major elements to consume, they are, calories, fat, nutrient, vitamin, and mineral and also water. If the people are lack of the nutritious food, the immunity would not be good,” he said.

The webinar was joined by many participants from the industries, the academy, the researchers, the agriculture observers, and the people. (A2)