Training on Muslim-Friendly Food Literacy Improves the Welfare of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Taiwan

Pingtung, Taiwan - To enhance the understanding and identification skills of Muslim-friendly food ingredients for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in Taiwan, the State University of Malang (UM), in collaboration with the Pingtung Branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PCINU), conducted a Muslim-friendly food literacy training.

PMI members from various sectors, including domestic workers, manufacturing, and trade, as well as some Indonesian students in Taiwan, attended this training.

A training session was held on October 6, 2024, at the PCINU Pingtung secretariat, chaired by Lismi Animatul Chisbiyah, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ph.D, and team members Laili Hidayati, S.Pd, M.Si, and Era Budi Prayekti, S.Pd., M.Si. The training focused on enhancing participants' ability to identify food ingredients using English, Mandarin, and chemical terminology.

The primary objective of this activity is to facilitate Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in identifying food ingredients that comply with their religious beliefs, particularly in the pastry and bakery industry where various animal-based ingredients are commonly used.

Lecture and interactive discussion session on Muslim-friendly food literacy

The training begins with a lecture and interactive discussion on the importance of choosing halal ingredients, followed by hands-on practice of making "Muslim Friendly Chocolate Praline" and "Halal Sushi."

A hands-on approach has proven effective in improving literacy and helping participants from various age groups and educational backgrounds better understand the knowledge of halal-friendly food ingredients.

Halal sushi-making by participants

In addition, participants were also provided with multilingual pocketbooks as a guide to understanding and learning about Muslim-friendly food ingredients that they can carry with them in their daily activities.

This pocketbook contains a list of basic pastry and bakery ingredients in Indonesian, English, and Mandarin, including their chemical names. An online support service is also provided to assist new Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan in identifying food ingredients.

According to Lismi Animatul Chisbiyah, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ph.D, the training results showed a significant improvement in the ability of Indonesian migrant workers to identify and choose halal food.