Food safety and health, especially in school canteens, are often overlooked by students. Counseling media are needed that are appropriate to the target age group, in this case elementary school students. To overcome this, the community service team from the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya held counseling on food safety and healthy canteens for elementary school students. For two days, the counseling was held in two locations, namely SDIT Robbani Watugede, Singosari and SDN 1 Watugede Singosari.
According to apt. Bachtiar Rifai Pratita Ihsan, S. Farm., M. Farm as the team leader, the concept presented for this counseling is through story books. “This method was chosen so that students can understand the aspects of food safety and recognize the conditions of a healthy canteen,” he explained.
This Community Service also consists of lecturers and students, both from UB and outside UB. This collaboration involves Dr. Anggita Rosiana Putri, S.Si, and apt Luthfi Ahmad Muchlashi, S. Farm., M. Farm. from UB and apt. Muh. Akbar Bahar, S.Si., M. Pharm.SC., Ph.D. from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Hassanudin University and Nurul Shadrina, Nur Lailah Tsaniyah, Sheva Nurus El-Quds and Nanda Kalima who are students of UB Pharmacy Department.
This team compiled an educational story book entitled Recognizing Food Safety for Children. “This Educational Story Book is a medium for counseling that tells the story of the character Nafisah as a security cadre for elementary school students who provide education to her friends who are affected by unhealthy food/snacks. In the Educational Story Book, many things are packaged interactively and in accordance with the style of elementary school children’s conversations so that the delivery of the material is expected to be understood by elementary school students,” said Bahtiar.
This book also contains material on food safety and healthy canteens such as how to recognize the condition of good food or snacks, recognize examples of unhealthy food or snacks that have an impact on health, recognize food additives and various interesting and interactive games.
A positive response was shown by students from both schools. Bahtiar also mentioned many questions submitted by students and teachers at the two targeted schools. “The principals of SDIT Robbani and SDN 1 Watugede hope that counseling activities with other themes can be held again next year,” he concluded. (VQ/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
