Increases Percentage of Doctoral Graduates in Food Technology Study Program, FTP Unud, Rai Widarta Successfully Achieves Doctoral Degree in Food Science through Modified Oleogel Application in Making Beef Sausage

One of the lecturers of the Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Udayana University, namely Dr. I Wayan Rai Widarta, S.TP., M.Si. successfully earned a Doctorate in Food Science at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta through the formation, characterization, and application of oleogel from a combination of palm olein, rice bran oil, and modified porang glucomannan. He completed his Doctoral studies in exactly 3 years from 2019-2022.

 

In the completed dissertation, the topic raised is modified oleogel, the process of making oleogel can be made by oleogelation technique. Oleogelation is a technique of converting liquid oil into a gel, so that it can be applied as a substitute for solid fats in food products. An important factor that determines the success of the oleogelation process is the used of oleogelator. Porang glucomannan has the potential to be used as an oleogelator because of its ability to form a gel, but its hydrophilic characteristics need to be modified so that it has slightly hydrophobic properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to produce an oleogelator from porang glucomannan modified octenyl succinate anhydrous (OSA) (PGOS), evaluate the ability of PGOS as an oleogelator in the manufacture of oleogel, and apply oleogel as a fat substitute in beef sausage formulations.

 

Dr. Rai Widarta also reported in his research that the addition of 20% oleogel to the sausage formulation as a substitute for beef fat was able to produce the best sensory characteristics that resembled the characteristics of beef sausage with the addition of 20% beef fat and tapioca as a comparison formulation. The conclusion from the research results obtained is that PGOS as an oleogelator in making oleogel is effectively used in low concentrations in rice bran oil which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and the resulting oleogel can be used as a substitute for beef fat in making sausages.

 

 

With the completion of Doctoral studies from Dr. I Wayan Rai Widarta, S.TP., M.Si also influences the total percentage of S3 graduates in the Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agricultural Technology Udayana University. In the future, it is also hoped that with his return from studies and will be active in teaching, he will be able to apply the knowledge he has gained to support the progress of the Education program and learning curriculum at the Food Technology Study Program, FTP Unud.