UMS Students Develop Anti-Obesity Snack from Rice Bran and Dragon Fruit

Students from the Faculty of Health Sciences (FIK), Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), successfully created an innovative local food product designed as a strategy to prevent obesity. The team members include Selvi Restiyana, Dita Febriana Nur Faatihah, Tsannina Saida Lathifa, Mutia Mayzalina, and Asterika Indah Nuraini, under the guidance of lecturer Dyah Intan Puspitasari, S.Gz., M.Nutr.

The product, named Bekafit, is the result of the 2025 Student Organization Research and Community Service Program (PPO). This snack utilizes rice bran as a source of fiber and dragon fruit as a natural sweetener, which helps control calorie intake.

Team leader Selvi Restiyana explained that the research was a response to the rising prevalence of obesity in Indonesia and the underutilization of local food resources. According to her, this step represents a concrete solution to promote healthy eating patterns based on local ingredients.

“We developed Bekafit as a high-fiber snack made from rice bran combined with dragon fruit as a natural sweetener. This blend not only offers a delicious taste but also provides longer satiety while helping to control calorie intake,” explained Selvi when interviewed on Thursday (25/9/2025).

Data from the Ministry of Health records that national obesity prevalence continues to rise each year and has become a risk factor for various degenerative diseases. This condition encouraged the UMS FIK team to create a food innovation that promotes health while also supporting national food self-sufficiency.

“We hope Bekafit can serve as a real example that local food ingredients like rice bran have great potential as modern functional foods. This product opens opportunities for developing a healthy food industry while serving as a strategic step in supporting obesity prevention programs,” Selvi continued.

The research process was carried out over two months, covering product development, laboratory testing, and community acceptance trials. The team sought to ensure that the resulting snack meets health standards while remaining appealing to consumers from various backgrounds.

Selvi explained that her team also conducted a public trial of the Bekafit product. The results, she said, showed that the community responded positively to the snack. Bekafit was considered healthier, more practical, and offered a taste competitive with other commercial products.

The Bekafit product is expected to inspire the younger generation to optimize local food resources in creating sustainable health solutions.

Writer: Yusuf Ismail

Editor: Fika Annisa Solihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid