JOHOR BAHRU, 17 August 2016 – Dr. Mohamad Shukri Zainal Abidin, academicians and researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have successfully developed the Semi Automatic Pasteurize and Packaging Machine which can benefit Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SME).
This project was funded through the Public Private Research Network (PPRN) grant which was organized by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOSTI) and was named Integrated Pasteurize and Packaging System for Food Paste (IPPASTE).
Dr. Mohamad Shukri said that the period of six months was needed to conduct the research and build a machine that really fit the specifications needed by local IKS operator, Noraini Margono, who produces pasteurized food which carries the brand ‘Mak Nani’.
“The machine was developed using multiple boiling equipped with electric and gas heating systems controlled by a hybrid system using an automatic controller.
“The pasteurized food will be pumped using a pneumatic system to the packaging section and packed in accordance to a predetermined weight,” said Dr. Mohamad Shukri.
Dr. Shukri was saying that in a press conference held at Noraini’s industrial premise located in Tampoi, Johor Bahru.
Among the advantages of Noraini’s products is that they do not contain preservatives and enable pasteurization techniques to be used in the food packaging she produces.
However, the process is complicated because the pasteurized foods should be packed immediately after the pasteurization process when it is still warm. Before this, the process was done manually.
“The utilization of this machine can save pasteurization and packaging time of more than 70 percent compared to manual. Estimated time for 50kg of packaging including food pasteurization is 90 minutes.
“The pasteurization process is more systematic and controlled, and it can guarantee the quality and extend the life of the paste produced by Noraini. Most importantly, this machine only uses minimum electrical power and can be operated by one worker only,” said Dr. Shukri.
As a researcher, Dr. Shukri also hopes that more SME operators will benefit from technologies that he and his team have produced.
“We are always ready to help any SME operators to develop the technology or machinery which is strongly related to the products they produce,” he said.