The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competence in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can verify cook chill processes for a range of foods to meet regulatory, industry and business standards. They must also demonstrate capacity to confirm that appropriate validation has occurred.

Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competency in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of ability to:

identify target organisms for a range of foods

determine capacity of distribution chain to control temperature parameters

determine requirements of specific extended and short shelf-life cook chill methods for a range of products

participate in audits of HACCP-based food safety programs to demonstrate ability and knowledge of technical aspects of extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes - audit scenarios must include:

a five-day cook chill process

a kettle or cook tank cook chill process

a sous vide cook chill process.

For given scenarios where prescribed cook chill processing requirements are not met, assess adequacy of evidence used to determine response procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Competency may be assessed in an actual workplace or simulated environment that provides access to the required resources.

Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints.

The following resources should be made available:

food safety programs covering extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes

food safety-related documentation typical of commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf-life cook chill products and used for the purpose of verification

evidence or documentation relevant to extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes that would typically be used by commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf-life cook chill products to support validation processes

plant and equipment that would typically be used by commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf-life cook chill products.

Method of assessment

This unit only covers the technical skills and knowledge related to the specific area of risk. Generic food safety auditing skills and knowledge are covered in prerequisite units. While participation in audit processes should follow good auditing practice as specified by prerequisite units, formal assessment of generic food safety auditing competence does not need to be repeated when assessing this unit.

The following assessment methods should be considered to gather sufficient and valid evidence of competency:

observation and a report covering the audits specified in this

oral and written questioning to test the level and application of knowledge relevant to identifying target organisms for a range of foods, determining capacity of distribution chain to control temperature parameters and determining requirements of specific extended and short shelf-life cook chill methods for a range of products

workplace example or scenario to allow verification of records for food safety to be demonstrated.

Audits conducted for the purpose of assessment must be witnessed by an auditor competent to audit extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

Required skills

Ability to:

interpret and apply relevant legislation, standards, codes of practice and technical specifications relating to heat treatment of foods in a cook chill process

identify target micro-organisms to be controlled by a cook chill process according to food type and cold chain capacity

inspect extended and short shelf-life cook chill plant and equipment to confirm that regulatory, industry and business standards are met

apply principles of heat treatment and chilling to assess suitability of extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes to ensure food safety objectives are achieved

review workplace records, including results of process monitoring and documentation of corrective actions to verify that the food safety program relating to cook chill processes is being implemented according to the prescribed process

review evidence used to validate the food safety control process

confirm methods and evidence used to test the reliability of cook chill processes

Required knowledge

Knowledge of:

regulations, codes of practice, guidelines, technical standards and Australian standards relating to all forms of cook chill processing of foods

target organisms that can occur in extended and short shelf-life cook chill foods, their survival and growth characteristics and related control methods

principles of heat treatment and chilling as they apply to extended and short shelf-life cook chill processing methods and product types

criteria used to specify heat treatment, cooling, storage and shelf-life parameters for extended and short shelf-life cook chill products

factors that impact on heat and chilling processes meeting food safety objective

prerequisite programs required to support effectiveness of cook chill processes

operational principles of commercial extended and short shelf-life cook chill equipment, including equipment features required to meet regulatory requirements and critical factors to be controlled to ensure delivery of heating and chilling processes that meet food safety objective

features of the environment in which cook chill foods are distributed, including risk factors

foods and preparation methods that present a particular risk to vulnerable populations, including cross-contamination risks associated with multi-tasking and cold chain maintaining temperatures during storage, transport and distribution

principles of packaging to form a suitable seal and impact of processing parameters and conditions on packaging integrity

effect of characteristics and pre-processing of raw materials and post-process packaging on the stability and safety of the product

labelling requirements for extended and short shelf-life cook chill products

food safety risks and controls to avoid post-process contamination of heat-treated product

principles of test methods and frequency to confirm the effectiveness of cook chill processes and meet regulatory, industry and business standards

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Cook chill products

Cook chill products may include:

long shelf-life refrigerated foods

short shelf-life refrigerated foods

heat-treated refrigerated foods (HTRF)packed for extended shelf-life

refrigerated processed foods of extended durability (REPFED)

sous vide foods

Physical food safety hazards

Physical food safety hazards include an understanding of physical standards that may present particular risks to vulnerable populations either due to the nature of the food, the preparation method and/or the preparation environment

Validation

Validation refers to obtaining evidence to confirm that a HACCP-based food safety program is complete and effective and will deliver the expected food safety outcomes

Validation evidence

Validation evidence confirms that control measures are capable of being consistently effective and may include the application of:

existing Australian legislative requirements

challenge tests

peer reviewed scientific papers

targeted scientific reports

validation already carried out in other jurisdictions and recognised by the responsible authority

mathematical modelling (e.g. predictive microbiology models)

industry codes of practice (where implementation by food business is verified during audits)

Verification

Verification refers to methods and procedures used to carry out monitoring, including sampling and testing to provide evidence that the specifications set by relevant legislation and codes of practice continue to be met

Equipment

Equipment includes:

cook tanks

self-stirring kettles

combi ovens

re-thermalisation cabinets

brat pans

blast chillers

water baths

pump-fill station

Business standards

Business standards refer to standards or technical specifications set by the system owner based on and in addition to regulatory requirements that relate specifically to food safety

Test methods

Test methods include:

conducting studies of process evaluation

conducting studies of equipment performance

Relevant legislation, standards, codes of practice and technical specifications

Relevant legislation, standards, codes of practice and technical specifications relating to retort requirements may include:

relevant sections of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

Australia Cook Chill Council, Guidelines for Chilled Food Production Systems Including Food Safety Programs, 2000

Validation and Verification of Heat Treatment Equipment and Processes (ANZDAC - draft)

international protocols such as those of CODEX Alimentarius Commission

AQIS Code of Hygienic Practice for Heat-treated Refrigerated Foods Packaged for Extended Shelf Life, 1992

state and territory regulations, codes of practice and guidelines

Target organisms

Target organisms are dependent on the food and cold chain capacity and include:

Listeria monocytogenes

Clostridium botulinum

Bacillus cereus

Salmonella

Yersinia enterocolitica

Prerequisite programs

Prerequisite programs are also referred to as support programs, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Good Hygienic Practice (GHP).

Prerequisite programs can be divided into two categories:

Infrastructure and maintenance programs. These may include:

layout, design, construction and amenities of buildings and facilities

supplies of air, water, energy and other utilities

equipment, including sanitary design, preventative maintenance, calibration and cleaning and sanitation

support services, including waste and sewage disposal

pest control

Operational prerequisite programs. These may include:

personal hygiene

measures for the prevention of cross-contamination

packaging and labelling procedures

supplier assurance

chemical storage

employee training

document control

internal audit programs

traceability programs

product integrity and security

cold chain management

inspecting and testing regimes, including analytical and microbiological testing

control of non-conforming product, including product recall programs

Vulnerable populations

Vulnerable populations are defined by the sensitivity of a population. Examples of sectors serving food to vulnerable populations include:

hospitals

aged care facilities

childcare centres

organisations delivering to housebound people

Packaging methods

Packaging methods include:

controlled atmosphere (CA) packaging

modified atmosphere (MA) packaging

vacuum packing

Additional reference material

Additional reference material includes:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Safe Food Australia - A Guide to the Food Safety Standards, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra

Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association Publications