Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to deal with specialist processing technologies to comminute meat and ingredients for further processing in a meat establishment.
A skilled operator in a smallgoods establishment may have responsibility for comminution of products such as devon, bloodwurst, salamis and berlinas.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, customer requirements and product specifications.
This unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction and take responsibility for their own work including limited responsibility for the work of others. They provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable problems.
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. Set up specialist cutting equipment | 1.1 Check blades for sharpness and correct sequence in accordance with workplace, and workplace health and safety requirements 1.2 Take corrective action as necessary 1.3 Wash down and sanitise equipment according to hygiene and workplace requirements 1.4 Load ingredients according to product specifications and workplace health and safety requirements |
2. Operate specialist cutting equipment | 2.1 Check ingredients to ensure conformity to product and customer specifications 2.2 Program equipment to product specification and workplace health and safety requirements 2.3 Load ingredients in a specified regime for the style of the product 2.4 Process product according to product and manufacturer's specifications, and workplace health and safety requirements 2.5 Operate silent or bowl cutter to produce a variety of specified products to meat production requirements 2.6 Judge timing of the process for correct texture according to product specifications 2.7 Control temperature to product specifications, and hygiene and sanitation requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must use specialist processing technologies to comminute meat and ingredients for further processing in a meat establishment.
The candidate must:
follow the requirements of the work instruction
work at production speed
identify various additives, spices and binders
calculate quantities and weights in order to meet product specifications
operate bowl cutter to produce a variety of products to:
workplace requirements
workplace health and safety requirements
hygiene and sanitation requirements
product specifications
production requirements
demonstrate the difference in cutting techniques between raw meat emulsions and pre-cooked meat emulsions
identify any unhygienic meat ingredients
apply communication and mathematical skills relevant to work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a factual, technical, procedural and theoretical knowledge of:
health and hygiene factors related to operating a bowl cutter
corrective action to be taken in situations such as:
incorrect loading of ingredients
machinery malfunction
temperature malfunction
unhygienic meat ingredients
common tests for blade sharpness such as:
no feathered edges
cutting paper without tearing
checking for ragged edges
appropriate quantities of water or ice to ensure temperature is maintained according to product specifications
consequences of loading ingredients in the incorrect order including:
fat separation caused by over-heating
red colour after cooking
temperature control
health and hygiene factors related to operating a bowl cutter
importance of protein extraction
effects on product and on health and safety of incorrectly placing product in equipment
effect of meat temperature when cutting meat for salami
effect on product of the temperature of the cutting equipment
importance of blade sharpness for the cutting process and the consequences of blunt blades
purpose of the following additives:
anti-oxidant
curing ingredients
phosphate
salt
water
difference in cutting techniques between raw meat emulsions and pre-cooked meat emulsions
relevant regulatory requirements
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be demonstrated over time and under typical operating conditions for the enterprise.
Assessment must occur in the workplace under normal production conditions.
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.