EduAsiaNews, Yogyakarta – The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Culinary Arts Education, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), organised the Culinary Innovation Festival VeggieVolution 2026 as a showcase of students’ innovative works in developing vegetable-based culinary products, held at the UNY Auditorium on Tuesday, 16 June 2026. The event featured 96 products born of student creativity, all of which embody the concept of healthy, innovative, and sustainable food.
Carrying the theme “VeggieVolution”, the festival served as a platform for disseminating the outcomes of the Culinary Product Innovation course, while simultaneously encouraging greater vegetable consumption through the development of appealing and value-added culinary products. The array of innovations on display demonstrated the students’ proficiency in research and product development — spanning from recipe formulation through to consumer-ready product packaging.
In her opening remarks, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering UNY, Prof. Ir. Mutiara Nugraheni, expressed her appreciation to all parties involved in organising the festival. She noted that the VeggieVolution theme reflects a spirit of culinary transformation towards a healthier, more sustainable, and innovative food system through the utilisation of fruits and vegetables as primary raw materials.
“As an institution of higher education, the Culinary Arts Education Programme bears the responsibility of fostering innovations that integrate knowledge, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Through this festival, students not only produce products that are appealing in terms of taste and presentation, but also give due consideration to nutritional value, food safety, production sustainability, and commercialisation potential,” said Mutiara Nugraheni.
Meanwhile, the Head of the PTBB Department, Faculty of Engineering UNY, Dr. Fitri Rahmawati, explained that the exhibition represents a tangible implementation of the learning outcomes of the Culinary Product Innovation course, with a particular focus on developing high-fibre foods through the utilisation of vegetables as the primary ingredient.
“VeggieVolution has been conceived as one means of responding to the challenge of shifting public consumption patterns, which tend to be low in dietary fibre. Through this activity, students demonstrate their competence in creating innovative vegetable-based products that are not only healthful, but also possess the appeal and potential for further development,” she explained.
The Chairperson of the VeggieVolution Organising Committee, M. Ghanang Al-Ghifari, further noted that plant-based food innovation has emerged as a rapidly growing global trend, driven by increasing public awareness of health and environmental sustainability. In response to this opportunity, the VeggieVolution Vegetable-Based Culinary Product Innovation Exhibition was conceived as a platform to stimulate creativity and innovation in the development of healthy, value-added, and sustainable vegetable-based food products, while simultaneously supporting increased vegetable consumption and the development of a culinary industry grounded in Indonesia’s biological resources.
Open to the general public, the festival showcased a diverse range of vegetable-based product creations — from snacks and light refreshments to beverages and other innovative food products. Beyond serving as a learning medium, the event also strengthened collaboration among students, lecturers, and the broader community in advancing healthy food development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Among the participants, Wanda Febriana presented Crunchkin — an innovative mini cookie incorporating butternut squash purée as a nutritious snack for children and adolescents. Meanwhile, Malwa Hanifah showcased an innovation in steamed pandan sponge cake with moringa leaf substitution, aptly named Boringa.
Through VeggieVolution 2026, students of the Culinary Arts Education Programme at UNY have demonstrated that vegetables can be transformed into creative, economically viable culinary products capable of meeting society’s future needs for healthy and wholesome food.
