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. Competence 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 legal, company and quality standards for food products

identify common causes of contamination and poisoning, and techniques used to verify status

identify and manage control measures used to address risks

manage cleaning procedures to ensure workplace standards meet food safety requirements.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

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

food safety plan and related information, including operating procedures, cleaning and sanitation regimes/plans

laboratory test results

a given production process and product as the basis for tracing contamination/spoilage and identifying control measures

cleaning and sanitation methods, equipment and procedures .

Method of assessment

This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role.

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:

identify the requirements of legislative responsibilities relating to food production, including food composition, specification of safe handling, processing, storage and transportation methods as appropriate, and establishment of related programs, such as cleaning and sanitation, personal hygiene practices, training and food traceability and recall procedures

identify how legislative requirements have been applied in a production context (this will typically be based on the food safety program (HACCP) for a production process)

identify related roles and responsibilities for implementing, maintaining and reviewing the food safety program in a production environment

identify the types of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and chemicals that can occur in food, including the main types of pathogens and contamination that can occur for a given product and production method, as well as the specific strains that can occur

identify the main types and causes of food spoilage that can occur, including:

bacterial growth

growth of yeasts and moulds

fermentation

enzymic reactions

physical degradation (oxidation)

identify the conditions that cause or promote the growth of pathogens and other forms of contamination and food spoilage

identify typical control measures used to prevent contamination from occurring, including microbiological, chemical and physical types of contamination

distinguish between measures to control pathogenic growth (critical control measures) and those used to prevent other forms of contamination

interpret test results and apply this information in a production context

identify the types of contamination that can occur and the controls in place to prevent or minimise the likelihood of contamination occurring (where a food safety plan has been developed, compare the outcomes of this process with the provisions of the food safety plan)

review workplace information to ensure that critical control measures and procedures are documented in a form appropriate to meet company and legal requirements and that quality control measures and procedures are documented to meet company and customer requirements (documentation includes action to be followed in the event of an incident or emergency and should be reflected in food safety plans and operating procedures)

identify the cleaning and sanitation requirements/standards appropriate for a food processing environment

identify the types of cleaners, sanitisers and combined cleaning/sanitation agents used in the food industry and related application methods

evaluate the appropriateness of available methods to a given production process/product type

develop and/or review a cleaning regime suited to a given production process, including the nature, frequency and methods of cleaning and sanitation required, such as removal of residues as appropriate, inspection and/or test methods to confirm effectiveness and allocation of roles and responsibilities (the cleaning regime should balance the need to ensure effective cleaning and sanitation at the same time as minimising the disruption to production)

identify the possible consequences of failing to follow the cleaning regime

develop and/or review procedures to describe the methods, frequency, recording, inspection and test requirements related to implementation of cleaning and sanitation

analyse and interpret test results relating to cleaning and sanitation

for a given type of microbacterial and/or chemical contamination, identify likely causes, relevant tests and review of the effectiveness of existing controls, including cleaning and sanitation measures

use communication skills to interpret and complete work information to support operations of work team or area

demonstrate and support cooperative work practices within a culturally diverse workforce

Required knowledge

Knowledge of:

the types of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and chemicals that can occur in food

the main types of pathogens and contamination that can occur

the main types and causes of food spoilage that can occur, including:

bacterial growth

growth of yeasts and moulds

fermentation

enzymic reactions

physical degradation (oxidation)

the conditions that cause or promote the growth of pathogens and other forms of contamination and food spoilage

criteria for evaluation to take account of the effectiveness of the method in controlling contamination risk, equipment requirements, cost and other criteria as identified by the workplace.

issues of compatibility of cleaning agents with materials used in equipment/instrument fabrication

the legal responsibilities to maintain food production facilities in a clean and sanitary condition, the difference between a surface that appears clean and one that is microbiologically described as clean, and use of terms, such as sterile and commercially sterile

laboratory procedures used to avoid erroneous results, including practices such as use of negative controls and the purpose of false positives/false negatives

common terms,such as:

plate count

culture

colony

bacteriophage

spores

yeasts and moulds

water activity

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.

Food-borne pathogens and contamination

Food-borne pathogens and contamination includes:

those listed in the World Health Organisation(WHO) table on 'Food-borne pathogens and chemicals of public health importance'.

This is reproduced in a number of food safety-related documents, including 'Food Safety Standards Costs and Benefits' ANZFA, May 1999

Food-related legislation

Food-related legislation relevant to this unit includes:

relevant state, territory and federal food safety legislation

the Food Standards Code

Identification

Identification can be based on active ingredients and includes but is not limited to:

alkaline and acid-based detergents

steam/hot water-based methods of sanitation

bleach-based sanitisers

quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs)

alcohol-based sanitisers

use of UV light, gamma radiation and combined cleaners/sanitisers