Universitas Esa Unggul Assists East Pamulang Family Welfare Movement (PKK) Women in Producing Tepache Probiotic Drinks from Pineapple Peels to Improve Health and Economic Productivity

Esaunggul.ac.id, The Community Service Team (PKM) of Universitas Esa Unggul (UEU) has once again innovated to support improving public health while empowering families economically. Through a program titled “Enhancing Health and Economic Productivity through Independent Production of Pineapple Peel-Based Probiotic Drinks (Tepache) by PKK Members at RW 11, East Pamulang,” UEU provided training to PKK members in RW 11, East Pamulang Village, South Tangerang City, to produce the probiotic drink Tepache, made from pineapple peel.

This program is designed to address the increasing risk of degenerative diseases among the productive age group and the elderly. According to data from the Community Empowerment Post (Posbindu) at RW 11, approximately 80% of women experience joint pain, along with high rates of hypertension, gout, cholesterol, and high blood sugar. These conditions not only disrupt daily activities but also reduce quality of life and productivity.

Through this activity, participants were guided directly to utilize pineapple peels, a commonly discarded ingredient, to create a probiotic fermented drink, Tepache, using boiled water and brown sugar to grow the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus casei. This drink has been proven to have various benefits, from boosting the immune system, promoting heart health, controlling blood sugar levels, strengthening bones, improving digestion, and even having anti-aging effects.

Monitoring results after regular Tepache consumption showed significant positive impacts: high blood pressure decreased by 15%, uric acid levels by 10%, cholesterol by 5%, blood sugar by 13%, and joint pain completely disappeared. In addition to the health benefits, this activity also opened up new economic opportunities, as PKK (Family Welfare Movement) women now have the skills to produce high-value, environmentally friendly fermented beverage products.

This program also involved two Universita Esa Unggul students under the Independent Learning Campus (MBKM) program, converting six credits into Fermentation Technology and Biotechpreneurship courses. The outputs of the activity include a scientific publication in the Journal Abdimas Unmer Malang, an article in the online media Kompasiana, a video tutorial on the Esa Unggul University YouTube channel, an activity poster, and an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) registration for the Tepache product design.

The Rector of Universitas Esa Unggul, Dr. Ir. Arief Kusuma Among Praja, S.T., M.B.A., IPU, ASEAN Eng., expressed his high appreciation for the success of the team of lecturers and students in integrating science, health, and community-based entrepreneurship innovation.

“This activity is a concrete example of how the university plays an active role in improving the quality of life of the community through applied research and sustainable innovation. This program is not only healthy but also empowering—adding economic value to something as simple as pineapple peel,” said Dr. Arief Kusuma.

He also added that initiatives like this align with Esa Unggul University’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) point 3—Good Health and Well-being—and point 8—Decent Work and Economic Growth.

“We want to continue encouraging community service activities that have a real impact, by combining science, technology, and local economic empowerment. In this way, Universitas Esa Unggul can become a university that directly contributes to community welfare and sustainable development,” he added.

Through this Tepache program, Universitas Esa Unggul emphasizes its role as an innovative campus that empowers communities to live healthier, more productive, and more economically empowered lives in line with its vision of becoming a leading university at the national and global levels.