Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to routinely inspect meat cuts for defects, contamination and out-of-specification product prior to packing or further processing.
This unit is applicable to workers packing meat and offal in abattoirs, boning rooms, knackeries and wild game processing establishments as well as those unpacking and/or inspecting meat prior to further processing.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace and hygiene requirements.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision, exercise limited autonomy and have some accountability for their own work.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
\This unit must be delivered and assessed in the context of Australian meat processing standards and regulations.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Inspect meat cuts for defects | 1.1 Identify types of contamination to be detected including bone chips, fibre, grease, excreta, ingesta and bruising 1.2 Consistently detect and trim meat cuts with contamination defects or return them to the slicer for trimming 1.3 Promptly report consistent contamination problems to the supervisor |
2. Identify meat that is outside specifications | 2.1 Identify and trim out-of-specification meat or return to trimmer for re-working |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must routinely inspect meat cuts for defects, contamination and out-of-specification product prior to packing or further processing.
The candidate must:
trim product free of defects in accordance with workplace requirements (where laid down in the employee's work instructions)
inspect cuts for defects to workplace requirements
follow the dropped meat policy
identify trim out-of-specification meat
detect contamination including ingesta, excreta, rail dust, grease, bruising, bone chips and fibres
deal with contaminated meat cuts promptly to ensure segregation from meat to be packaged or further processed
communicate with trimmers and/or supervisors regarding defect problems as needed and accept feedback
dispose of contaminated trimmings into inedible product tubs
apply relevant regulatory requirements
observe relevant workplace health and safety requirements
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of:
nature and types of contaminants
results of allowing contaminated meat to be packaged or further processed
results of allowing out-of-specification cuts to be packaged or further processed
workplace requirements for reporting consistent or repeated contamination of cuts or cuts out-of-specification
relevant regulatory requirements
relevant workplace health and safety requirements
Assessment Conditions
Assessment must occur in a registered processing plant or establishment.
Competency must be demonstrated at normal speed of production.
As a minimum, the following three forms of assessment must be used:
quiz of underpinning knowledge
workplace demonstration
workplace referee or third-party report of performance over time
Assessors must satisfy the current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.