The vacuum fryer machine is a sorting tool for processing java apples that fall short of the quality requirements set by distributor agents, commonly referred to as "imperfect products" by the PPM (Community Service and Empowerment) team. This machine utilizes ava apples, categorized as imperfect products, to be transformed into chips, providing them with new economic value. The product is named KeJam (Keripik Jambu Madu / Java Apple Chips), an innovative healthy snack that everyone can enjoy anytime.

A team of lecturers from Universitas Sumatera Utara facilitated the provision of a vacuum fryer machine to improve the productivity of the Kelompok Wanita Tani Tangguh in Karang Gading Village, Secanggang District, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. The machine was handed over as part of a community service program led by Dr. Eka Lestari Mahyuni, SKM, M.Kes., from the Faculty of Public Health of Universitas Sumatera Utara. The vacuum fryer machine was directly given to the Head of Karang Gading Village, Secanggang District, Langkat Regency, Bahrul, and its use was immediately demonstrated at the Karang Gading Village Hall. This machine represents a new technological investment granted to the Kelompok Wanita Tani Tangguh, chaired by Tumini, as a partner in the community service initiative.

"This vacuum fryer machine has an excellent function because it vacuums rather than frying with oil as usual. The oil in this machine is only used as a heat conductor. This means our partners can produce hundreds of frying cycles without worrying about repurchasing oil. This machine is a technology grant from our community service program, funded by DRTPM Kemdikbudristek," explained Dr. Eka Lestari Mahyuni, SKM, M.Kes.

According to her, this initiative is expected to address the issue of agricultural and food waste, one of the highest contributors to national waste. By utilizing imperfect produce—often discarded by farmers—to create KeJaM, this effort not only helps improve environmental sustainability but also provides an additional source of income for the community service partner group. This, in turn, can enhance farmers' economic conditions, demonstrating how the vacuum fryer machine can effectively solve this issue.

The idea originated from a situational analysis in which many Java apples were left scattered in farmers' storage areas. Farmers abandoned them because these java apples were considered unsellable due to their lower grade, even though they were still safe for consumption.

"From this situation, I sought to transform what we call imperfect produce into something consumable and marketable. With the vacuum fryer machine, these unsold sorted java apples are processed into chips, branded as KeJaM," she explained.

Before the equipment demonstration, the PPM team had also conducted educational sessions for the residents of Karang Gading Village, particularly for the Kelompok Wanita Tani Tangguh, on August 6, 2022. The education on KeJaM production was delivered in a hybrid format. Prof. Dr. Ir. Evawany Yunita Aritonang, M.Si., a team member, provided insights on food safety, explicitly educating java apple farmers about potential hazards and critical control points related to physical, chemical, and biological risks in KeJaM processing.

Through Zoom, another team member, Wahyu Sugeng Imam Soeparno, S.E., M.Si., also educated the java apple farmers in Karang Gading regarding marketing strategies and the economic value calculation of KeJaM. This preparation ensures that farmers are well-equipped to make the production process in Karang Gading Village more competitive than others.

KeJaM is a new product, and no one in the region has previously produced java apple-based products, despite the abundant availability of java apples in Sumatra as a raw material source. The market potential and opportunities are considerable, leaving it to the village and the resilient women of the java apple farming group to fully utilize the machine. Additionally, support from village authorities and the local government is crucial in promoting KeJaM more broadly.

These java apple chips offer numerous health benefits and are produced without additives. The vacuum fryer machine enhances the natural flavor of whatever is fried, allowing the processed java apples to retain their authentic taste. This makes KeJaM a genuine original product, making it an ideal healthy snack. The vacuum fryer plays a key role in creating crispness and intensifying the java apple's natural flavor without reducing its nutritional content.