The Rumah Inovasi Tempe Sekar Sari (RITSS), located on Kedawung V Street in Patemon, Gunungpati, Semarang City, Central Java, serves as a center for research, training, and production of fermented soybean-based foods and beverages such as tempeh, soy milk, tofu, and other soy products. Part of UNNES’s Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) initiative, particularly under the Kedaireka Matching Fund (MF) project titled Upgrading Technology and Digitalizing Soybean Processing in Central Java, RITSS functions as a training ground and business center in the field of biology for MBKM students.
RITSS supports the hygienic production of tempeh and tofu by implementing Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs) that comply with standards from Indonesia’s Food and Drug Administration (BPOM). RITSS facilities include fermentation rooms, display areas, and production warehouses equipped with dual-heat peeling technology and pasteurization systems for soybean skin removal.
In the Kedawung V neighborhood, RITSS is also affiliated with Sekar Tekno, a conference that applies Low Temperature High Pressure Cooker (LTHPC) technology for processing Bandeng Presto (pressure-cooked milkfish).
Established to facilitate education and training for students and craftsmen interested in fermentation businesses, particularly tempeh production, RITSS focuses on enhancing the traditional tempeh production methods of family-owned and small-scale businesses. The tempeh produced here serves as a nutritious food source, whether as a side dish, vegetable ingredient, or additive in snacks and bread.
The RITSS food system development aims to advance tempeh businesses from small-scale production to high-value products with broader market reach. Through its refined production methods, RITSS generates high-quality tempeh suitable for daily consumption and with potential for medical use.
Sekar Sari Tempe Innovation House is also registered as a national tempeh brand under BPOM RI (MD 232311001969), packaged in 250-gram food-grade PP plastic. The tempeh produced at RITSS is designed to meet the nutritional needs of the general public and those with specific health conditions, such as metabolic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and as therapy for childhood diarrhea.
With the establishment of Rumah Inovasi Tempe Sekar Sari, UNNES aspires to support local, soy-based food innovations that promote health, while also empowering Indonesia’s tempeh SMEs to create high-quality, competitive products.
