UI Faculty of Pharmacy Holds Hanjeli Beverage Processing Training in Sukabumi
The Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Indonesia (UI), through funding from the 2026 Bestari Saintek programme of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, held a training session on processing hanjeli seeds into beverage products. The event was attended by farmer groups, MSME entrepreneurs, and local residents in the Hanjermali Tourism Village, Waluran District, Sukabumi Regency, on Saturday (29/08/2026). The innovation project is titled ‘Development of Hanjeli Seeds into a Natural, Nutritious, Caffeine-Free, and Gluten-Free Coffee-Flavoured Beverage’.
This coffee-flavoured hanjeli beverage is a tangible manifestation of utilising research findings to create innovations that meet community needs. The product is the result of research and optimisation conducted by Pharmacy student Gandha Sila Honorius, under the supervision of Prof. Berna Elya and Roshamur Cahyan Forestrania. The project employs the ‘Living Laboratory’ concept, an approach that integrates research, learning, innovation, and the application of research results within a real-world environment.
“Through this approach, the product development process does not stop at the laboratory research stage but continues until it produces a product with the potential for wider development and utilisation. Hanjeli, which has not been widely utilised as an alternative beverage ingredient, is processed into a product with a coffee flavour, presenting a food innovation while opening opportunities for the development of value-added local commodities,” Gandha stated in a press release on Thursday (03/09/2026).
This product development also serves as a learning process for students. The UI Faculty of Pharmacy team involved in this activity consists of undergraduate and master’s students, namely Gandha Sila Honorius, Anhar Muflih, and Arifah Putri Yanti, supported by faculty staff member Ratri Syafira Putri. This cross-level involvement provides students with direct experience in the processes of research, product development, and the implementation of research findings.
The collaboration between students, lecturers, and academic staff demonstrates that the academic ecosystem can serve as a space to produce innovations that possess not only scientific value but also the potential for real benefits and impact on society.
To support the processing of hanjeli coffee, equipment including one oven unit and a grinding machine was handed over. The handover was represented by the Bestari Saintek Research Team—Prof. Berna Elya and Roshamum Cahyan Forestrania—and the Head of the Hanjeli Tourism Village, Asep Hidayat Mustopa, acting as the programme’s supporting partner.
During the training, the community received education and hands-on practice in the processing stages required to create the coffee-flavoured hanjeli beverage. Each step was conducted to maintain quality and standardise the production process, ensuring a consistent flavour and preserved nutritional value.
Based on testimonials collected from training participants, the hanjeli beverage possesses a natural coffee-like aroma and taste, is easy to enjoy, is gentle on the stomach, and does not cause bloating. Consequently, the community is optimistic that hanjeli coffee can become a flagship product for the Hanjeli Tourism Village.
The introduction of this coffee-flavoured hanjeli beverage is expected to be an initial step in encouraging the downstreaming of research results, while simultaneously strengthening the role of universities in developing products based on local resources. Through the Living Laboratory concept, research and learning activities can be integrated to create relevant, applicable, and sustainable innovations.