Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to pack meat products in accordance with regulatory, workplace and customer requirements.
This unit is applicable to workers in a registered meat processing premises such as an abattoir (slaughter floor, offal room, tripe room, boning room), food service operations, wholesale butchery, game meat processing establishment or pet food premises.
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. Check packing area | 1.1 Check packing area for hygiene and operational requirements prior to commencing work, in accordance with work instructions. |
2. Pack meat product | 2.1 Select product to be packed and check for defects according to customer and workplace requirements 2.2 Take corrective action according to workplace requirements if product is out-of-specification 2.3 Handle out-of-specification product according to workplace requirements 2.4 Select correct packaging materials according to workplace and customer requirements 2.5 Check packaging for defects in accordance with work instructions 2.6 Pack and arrange product according to workplace and customer requirements 2.7 Weigh product according to workplace and regulatory requirements, if this forms part of work instructions 2.8 Identify food safety hazards associated with packing and minimise them by implementing preventative measures 2.9 Identify and comply with workplace health and safety requirements for packing, including safe manual handling 2.10 Label packed product according to workplace requirements, if this forms part of work instructions |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must pack meat products in accordance with regulatory, workplace and customer requirements.
The candidate must:
demonstrate the inspection and selection of meat products prior to packaging
select and blend meat cuts and trimmings to meet customer specifications (where appropriate)
pack and arrange product to workplace, customer and regulatory requirements
accurately weigh a variety of products
inspect packaging for defects and take appropriate action
comply with workplace health and safety requirements for packing including safe handling
use communication skills relevant to work instructions
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of:
how a variety of products may need to be arranged for packing
relevant labelling requirements
requirements for inspection and grading of meat prior to packaging and the action to be taken if meat is outside specifications
packaging requirements for the range of meat products to be packaged
workplace, customer and regulatory requirements related to packing products
Assessment Conditions
Assessment must be conducted in an operating meat processing plant.
Competency must be demonstrated at a rate of packing that meets workplace requirements over a period of time.
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.