Tangerang Students Create AI-Based Nutrition Detection Device for MBG Programme

Tangerang Regency (ANTARA) - A group of students and university students from Tangerang Regency, Banten, have launched a technological innovation for nutritional safety called Si Amanzi, based on artificial intelligence (AI), to support the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Programme. These nutritional safety detection devices were showcased at the Tangerang Regency-level Appropriate Technology Competition organised by the local government on Wednesday. Member of the Mauk Subdistrict Technology Service Post Research Team, Alwan Azriel, stated that this innovation emerged in response to the widespread cases of mass poisoning in the implementation of the MBG Programme. “Therefore, our device focuses on assisting the government’s MBG-related programme,” said Alwan. He explained that the development of the Si Amanzi system utilises popular AI technology from several developers in Indonesia. The research process lasted around four months, encompassing scientific journal studies, field observations, and interviews with MBG recipients and teachers. “The device operates through an integrated series of inspection stages using a conveyor. The first stage begins with sterilising the meal containers or MBG trays using ultraviolet (UV) light,” he explained. After that, the meal trays will be filled with food, and the suitability and nutritional content of the menu will be automatically analysed by an AI-enabled camera that can read the food’s condition, calories, and nutritional value. “In addition, we have equipped it with odour and humidity sensors. The odour sensor detects ammonia and methane substances; if those substances are present in the food, it means it’s unfit,” he elaborated. He said that after the entire inspection process is complete, the machine will print a barcode sticker from the technology containing the nutritional safety test results, which will then be affixed to each MBG tray. “Realistically, it’s 70 per cent accurate, but at least it can minimise the risk of poisoning from unfit food,” he added. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Tangerang Regency, Soma Atmaja, assessed that this appropriate technology competition serves as a strategic space for the community to produce innovations in various fields. “Innovations emerge from events like this because we can see technological innovations in agriculture, renewable energy, and also efficient technology in the septic tank sector,” he said. He hopes that the technologies being competed can be mass-produced and directly utilised by the community in daily life. “It’s just a matter of scaling it up, whether we can create this technology on a mass scale; of course, there needs to be support from other parties like large companies as investors,” he stated.