UNAIR Chemistry Lecturers Assist Gumeng Community in Producing Low–Calcium Oxalate Porang

Mojokerto — The Department of Chemistry, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), conducted a community service activity entitled “Community Empowerment in the Production of Low Calcium Oxalate Porang to Support Food Security” on Thursday (January 22, 2026), in Gumeng Village, Gondang District, Mojokerto Regency.

Gumeng Village is known as one of the major producing areas of porang tubers (Amorphophallus muelleri). To date, porang has generally been sold in raw tuber form at a price of approximately IDR 10,000 per kilogram, resulting in relatively low economic value for farmers. Through this activity, the UNAIR academic team encouraged the community to process porang into value-added products, particularly porang flour, which has a significantly higher market value.

During the activity, Prof. Dr. Pratiwi Pudjiastuti, M.Si., explained the various health benefits of porang tubers. Porang is rich in glucomannan, a type of carbohydrate with a low glycemic index that is beneficial for helping to control blood glucose levels. Its high dietary fiber content also plays an important role in maintaining digestive health and supporting weight management. In addition, porang contains antioxidant compounds in the form of polyphenols that can enhance the body’s immune system. The oligosaccharides present in porang are also known to have the potential to protect the body from infections and reduce the risk of allergies.

However, porang tubers cannot be consumed directly because they contain relatively high levels of calcium oxalate, ranging from approximately 0.19–0.25 percent. This compound may cause itching and irritation of the skin and throat and poses a risk of kidney stone formation if consumed over a long period without proper processing.

On the same occasion, Prof. Dr. Muji Harsini, M.Si., presented simple and safe food chemistry-based techniques for reducing calcium oxalate content in porang tubers, which can be applied at the household and small-scale enterprise (SME) levels. The process begins with selecting fresh porang tubers, followed by washing, peeling, and slicing them thinly to a thickness of 2–3 millimeters. The slices are then soaked in a 3 percent salt solution for two hours, followed by soaking in a 0.5–1 percent citric acid solution for 30–45 minutes. After rinsing with clean water, the porang is boiled for 15–20 minutes, drained, and dried using an oven at a temperature of 50–60 degrees Celsius or by sun drying.

This process produces dried porang chips that are safe for consumption. These chips can be processed directly into porang chips or further milled to produce porang flour. Porang products that have undergone calcium oxalate reduction have higher economic value and can be processed into various alternative food products, such as porang rice, noodles, chips, and other processed foods.

Through this community service activity, it is expected that the residents of Gumeng Village will not only sell porang as a raw commodity but also be able to develop safe, healthy, and high-value processed porang products, thereby contributing to improved community welfare and local food security.