The Institute of Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (IFSSA) at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) introduces ready-to-eat food products using retort technology, which can be served within a minute.

With the concept of "Convenient, Fast, and Easy," the Korean Spicy Chicken food product or also known as Dakgalbi which is originated from Korea, can be consumed directly with white rice, ramen noodles, or salad for a meal for one to two people. The Director of IFSSA, Ts. Dr. Maryana Binti Mohamad Nor, stated that this product utilizes food packaging technology wrapped in retort pouches that have room temperature resistance, allowing the product to have a shelf life of up to 12 months.

She mentioned that Dakgalbi is a dish that has gained popularity among Korean food enthusiasts, especially in Malaysia.

"This Dakgalbi product is made using ingredients such as boneless chicken marinated with chili paste, onions, and ginger, and cooked together with rice cakes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables."

"The dish was originated from the city of Chuncheon in the Gangwon Province of South Korea and gained popularity in the 1960s. In Korea, dakgalbi is cooked in a cast iron skillet and served directly in front of customers in portions suitable for 2-3 people," she said.

Ts. Dr. Maryana added that the retort production project for dakgalbi is led by Assistant Research Officer of IFSSA, Ms. Siti Zubaidah Hamzah, under the funding allocation from the Research Management Division, Research and Innovation Centre (RMIC), UMK.

Puan Siti Zubaidah mentioned that the idea of producing dakgalbi with a Malaysian taste was sparked after seeing that no dakgalbi products were sold in food restaurants chains in Malaysia.

"Typically, the sale of dakgalbi products is limited with relatively expensive prices while the halal status is also questionable," she said.

Therefore, IFSSA took the initiative to produce this innovative dakgalbi product using retort technology through the UMK-NICE research grant scheme, which was introduced to non-academic staff starting in April 2021 and ending in October 2022.

"This dakgalbi uses local ingredients but at the same time maintains the Korean flavour," she added.

"This product is ready to be eaten with rice, noodles or salad according to each individual's taste. With the emergence of the idea of dakgalbi in a retort, Korean food enthusiasts can enjoy delicious and healthy dakgalbi without having to bother preparing many ingredients and most importantly, this product lasts for one year at room temperature," he said.

Meanwhile, Puan Siti Zubaidah mentioned that IFSSA has also produced a grey oyster mushroom-based patty burger, where grey oyster mushroom serves as the main ingredient in its production. In general, this mushroom patty contains high protein, low fat, and is cholesterol-free, making it suitable for everyone to enjoy, especially vegans and vegetarians.

"The speciality of this mushroom patty is that it uses oyster mushrooms produced by local entrepreneurs, GMO-free, also without additional coloring and flavouring.

"This product has gone through several stages of research to guarantee quality and stability so that it always meets the consumer's taste. Each box contains 10 pieces of mushroom patty and consumers can choose how to cook them, either by grilling or frying according to their own taste preferences.

This mushroom patty project received funding from the Product Development and Branding Programme, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) starting in September 2021 until August 2022.

With the creation of this innovative product, it is hoped that efforts to make mushrooms an alternative source to existing burger meat in the market will also help support mushroom entrepreneurs to produce mushroom-based downstream products.