Elements and Performance Criteria
- Identify food poisoning and spoilage bacteria, including methods of control
- The major bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage are identified
- The types of processes used in the control of microbial growth in food products are evaluated
- The effect of a standard food preserving technique over a range of pH, on the growth patterns of microbes is ascertained
- The effectiveness of this food preserving technique in controlling food poisoning and spoilage microbes is evaluated
- The usefulness of this technique, as part of process control of food poisoning and spoilage microbes is assessed
- Compliance with Food Standards are assessed for food preservation techniques
- Perform microbiological techniques for the identification of food borne disease
- Standard microbiological techniques to identify and enumerate food poisoning and spoilage organisms, from a food sample, are used
- The type of toxins, produced by the major food pathogens, are identified
- Documented food borne disease outbreaks, from the past, are investigated
- The ramifications of product contamination in terms of Public Health and product shelf-life quality are determined
- Specimens and waste are handled in accordance with enterprise OHS guidelines
- Apply the principles of microbiological quality control
- The spoilage patterns of specific foods at different temperatures of storage are ascertained
- The relationship between spoilage patterns and the growth cycle of the specific food spoilage/poisoning organisms is determined
- A microbiological quality control program for a specific food is designed, implemented and evaluated in terms of the Food Standards
- The importance of plant hygiene and how it can affect the finished product is determined
- Specimens and waste are handled in accordance with enterprise OHS guidelines
- Apply rapid microbiological techniques and other relevant technology for the identification of microbes related to plant hygiene
- The principles of accelerated culture techniques are critically examined
- The relevance of rapid microbiological technology, as related to control of plant hygiene, is identified
- A series of tests to determine the adequacy of plant sanitation procedures, by rapid microbiological or other techniques, is performed
- Specimens and waste are handled in accordance with enterprise OHS guidelines
- Perform techniques involving microbial fermentations
- The types and characteristics of micro organisms used for fermentation within the food industry are identified
- Standard microbiological techniques to isolate and identify yeasts and bacteria in given food samples are used
- Sub-culturing and pure culture techniques for "scale up" to "starter" cultures are performed
- New culture strains after fermentation are maintained using standard techniques
- Analyse test results and provide recommendations to process controllers or production managers
- Results of microbiological tests are recorded and collated
- Microbiological data is analysed and compared with food safety and food processing critical control limits and other parameters
- Implications of test results are established and conclusions are drawn
- Test results, conclusions and recommendations are documented and presented to food processing management