USU PUBLIC RELATION - Packaged food can change flavor if the packaging fails to fulfill its function as a container. This results in the contents of the packaged food product being contaminated and unfit for consumption, even though it has not reached its expiry date. Damage to packaging can also interfere with its aesthetic appearance.

Food products, such as fried foods or chips, that easily react to oxygen must be packaged with materials that cannot be penetrated by oxygen, either airless packaging or packaging with filling gas. Packaging is done by removing oxygen from the container, replacing it with nitrogen, and applying pressure to inflate the packaging, which is one way to protect the material from damage.

One of the MSME products produced by partners so far, namely cassava chips, is packaged manually with a heat sealing device (ordinary packaging) like chips. MSME products that are packaged manually easily become rancid, soggy, cracked, or broken when the packaging is dropped or caused by other mechanical damage, affecting the shorter shelf life. Appropriate packaging technology that combines a continuous band sealer machine with the addition of food-grade nitrogen gas will help maintain or extend the shelf life of products managed by partners.

The situation above encouraged a team of lecturers from the Universitas Sumatera Utara consisting of Dr. Nauas Domu Marihot Romauli, S.T.P., M.Eng, Prof. Dr. Himsar Ambarita, S.T., M.T., Hendrik Voice Sihombing, S.T., M.T., and Edy Syahputra Harahap, S.T.P., M.Si., carried out community service activities to increase partner skills in packaging technology applied to Daima MSME products, located in Pardomuan Nauli Village, Dusun II Sipuli, Palipi District, Samosir Regency.

On September 9, 2023, assistance tools and goods were handed over directly by the USU Community Service Team to Mrs. Sonti Situmorang, the business owner, whom the Village Secretary, Mr. Henro Siringoringo, also attended. The team assisted in the form of tools and machinery in the form of 1 continuous band sealer machine tool with a ready-to-use regulator, 1 unit of gas cylinder along with the contents of food grade Nitrogen gas, 100 sheets of standing pouch packaging, 100 sheets of vacuum plastic packaging, along with 10 leaflets on appropriate technology introduced to partners so that partners can use it to increase production activities from their MSMEs.

Romauli hopes that through this activity, the increased knowledge and skills gained can have a positive impact on the products produced by Samosir regional MSMEs, especially Daima MSMEs, and also provide opportunities for partners to develop their business products by producing good quality food for consumption to increase public trust and expand the scope of their product sales area. The service team also involved students of the USU Faculty of Agriculture's Undergraduate Program in Food Technology, namely Putri Salsabila Sipahutar, Maria Lerin Manalu, and Nurul Khalifah. (RJ)