Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) are committed to strengthening their Memorandum of Undestanding (MoU) relationship through community projects in Kenjeran, Surabaya, Indonesia. Dr. Nur Izzati Mohd Noh and ChM. Anthony Nyangson Steven from the Faculty of Science (FS) were invited to conduct a training session at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine (FFM), UNAIR, focusing on improving the sanitation and hygiene of smoked fish products produced by the Kenjeran community.

Renowned for their smoked fish products, the Kenjeran community seeks assistance in enhancing the quality of their products to meet international standards. Prof Dr. Latifah Abd. Manaf from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Dr. Nuning from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED) also participated in the program.

During the first day of training, Dr. Nur Izzati emphasized the significance of sanitation and hygiene to prevent microbial contamination in smoked fish products, while ChM. Anthony discussed the procedures for obtaining halal certification and its benefits for increasing sales. Fifteen smoked fish producers actively participated in the training program, and Dr. Nur Izzati also delivered lectures to undergraduate students on microbiology control in food.

On the second day, a site visit to Kenjeran allowed the participants and students from UNAIR to observe the smoked fish processing and sales. Additionally, a cooking competition was organized, where members of the Kenjeran community showcased their culinary skills by preparing delicious dishes using smoked fish products.

At the conclusion of the program, the community received equipment to aid in the processing of smoked fish, marking a positive step towards enhancing the production standards of smoked fish in the community.