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

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

Candidates must be able to demonstrate the ability to establish and/or review procedures to support compliance and report on process improvement issues. Assessment must also include evidence of an understanding of: the role of industry organisations and job roles within the industry; systems, roles and procedures in place for food safety and QA; and legal requirements for the packing, production and labelling operations of a food production enterprise.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:

workplace processes and procedures

workplace documentation including specifications and procedures

relevant legislation

communication systems

workplace information recording systems, requirements and procedures.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

written and/or oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding

completing workplace documentation

third party reports for the implementation of enterprise requirements for product safety and quality

case studies

field reports.

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 include:

Ability to:

describe industry organisations and their role

define job roles and responsibilities for the food processing industry

define the ingredients, operations and product specifications for a food processing operation

define the inputs and outputs of a food processing operation, including the use of non renewable resources and impacts on air, soil, water and atmospheric CO2 levels

identify the legal responsibilities of a food processing company. This includes responsibilities relating to:

product content (Food Standards Code)

product packaging and labelling, including use of nutritional information panels (Food Standards Code)

design requirements of food premises and equipment

requirements of storage facilities used for materials, ingredients and final product

other requirements as appropriate to the product and/or market (e.g. import and/or export legislation)

identify and/or develop specifications and procedures to ensure that legal responsibilities related to product content and packaging are achieved

inspect plant design to identify potential hazards that could be introduced as a result of equipment design and configuration. For example, overhead pipes or equipment where dust could collect and fall into food. Where hazards are identified, apply the hierarchy of control to identify opportunities to remove or control the risk

identify storage facilities across a production site. Identify the dangerous goods stored on site and confirm that storage of these goods (type and quantity) meets legal requirements

confirm that employees required to handle chemicals and dangerous goods are advised of the associated risks, that this information is available in a form appropriate to the audience and that Material Safety Data Sheets are available

develop and/or review recording systems to confirm compliance with legislative requirements and ensure that employees responsible for recording information are informed of these responsibilities

establish internal review/audit procedures to confirm that legislative responsibilities are met

within each area of legislation applying to the activities of a food processing facility, identify the relevant authority responsible for administering the legislation. Identify the rights and responsibilities of related officers to access the production site

present technical information in a written format and as a presentation.

Required knowledge includes:

Knowledge of:

industry organisations and representative bodies in food processing

the environmental impacts of a food processing operation

customer expectations and community perceptions of the food processing industry

emerging technologies in food processing

food testing methods

procedures for QA and food safety

legal responsibilities of a food processing company relating to product content and packaging

the purpose and intent of relevant legislation

potential hazards that could be introduced as a result of equipment design and configuration

associated risks in handling chemicals and dangerous goods

recording requirements to comply with legislative requirements

recording procedures

report templates and protocols

oral and written communication strategies and protocols

relevant authorities responsible for administering legislation and their roles

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.

Legislation

Legislation to be covered by this unit includes:

Acts of Parliament, regulations and statutes

Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code

Food Safety legislation (including provisions covering the design of food premises and equipment)

Local Authority regulations

Customs and excise legislation (for alcohol-based ingredients/materials)

AQIS requirements

Dangerous goods legislation

Import and export legislation

Additional legislation as appropriate to product, process and market.

Industry and regulatory organisations

These may include industry funded marketing co-operatives, research and development organisations (RDOs), certification bodies, federal and state regulatory agencies for OHS, environment and food safety, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service, export and third party auditors, and organisations sponsoring QA schemes.

Occupational health and safety requirements

Codes of practice, regulations, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)

Enterprise specific requirements

Relevant State/Territory/Commonwealth Occupational Health and Safety acts, regulations, national standards, codes of practice and guidance notes which may apply in jurisdiction

Examples of specific task related procedures may include:

handling of chemicals

use of personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Materials, equipment and systems

Heating and cooling equipment, size reduction systems, materials transfer equipment, heat exchangers, forming and shaping equipment

Major operations may include: material transfer, separation, size reduction, combining, heat exchange, biochemical transformation, shaping and extrusion operations

Operations includes all food processing and preventative maintenance.