Yogyakarta, January 22, 2026 — A remarkable international achievement has been recorded by a student from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Maula Belva Islamay Putri, an undergraduate Pharmacy student in the batch of 2024, successfully won 3rd Place in the Public Poster category at the 2025 International Nutrition Competition Poltekkes Palangka Raya (INCP).
Organized virtually by the Nutrition Department of the Ministry of Health Polytechnic Palangka Raya, the competition carried the theme “From Trend to Tradition: Adopting Local Plant-Based Superfoods to Improve Family Nutrition and Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases.” This event serves as a platform for health students to innovate by utilizing local food resources to combat non-communicable diseases and improve family nutrition.
Competing against 21 teams from various institutions, Belva focused on the sub-theme “Flavor Meets Function: Culinary Innovation with Local Superfoods.” She introduced a scientific innovation featuring banana hearts—a part of the banana plant that is often overlooked and underutilized as a functional food source. Through a scientific approach, Belva demonstrated how fermented banana hearts can achieve a unique texture remarkably similar to tuna meat. This innovation not only increases the utility of overlooked local ingredients but also provides high nutritional value packaged in a modern culinary form to appeal to the younger generation.
Belva’s victory was determined by a combination of the judges’ scoring and public support via Instagram. This achievement is particularly notable as she was the sole representative from Universitas Gadjah Mada to secure a title in this international competition. This success reflects the commitment of UGM Pharmacy students to advancing research in sustainable functional foods and contributing to the global health landscape.
