Application
This unit covers the skills and knowledge required to thaw frozen product in preparation for further processing.
This unit is applicable to workers in smallgoods plants where further processing of frozen product is required.
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. Thaw product in water | 1.1 Select meat to be thawed according to workplace requirements 1.2 Check and prepare tanks according to work instructions 1.3 Thaw product according to work instructions 1.4 Monitor tank flows to meet regulatory requirements 1.5 Complete product temperature monitoring and recording according to workplace requirements 1.6 Complete thawing in accordance with workplace health and safety requirements 1.7 Identify and minimise potential sources of contamination and cross-contamination |
2. Store and despatch thawed product and forward for processing | 2.1 Rotate thawed product according to workplace requirements 2.2 Store thawed product according to workplace requirements 2.3 Keep records according to workplace requirements |
Evidence of Performance
Candidates must consistently carry out the thawing process according to workplace and regulatory requirements.
Candidates must:
follow the requirements of the work instruction
work to production speed
check and prepare tanks for thawing
identify contaminated product prior to thawing and take corrective action according to workplace requirements
thaw product according to workplace and regulatory requirements
maintain control of the flow of product through thawing and dispatch to further processing
follow workplace health and safety and hygiene requirements
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:
sources of contamination and cross-contamination
ways of minimising contamination
regulations dealing with thawing of product
workplace requirements for thawing product including:
workplace health and safety requirements.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
principles of stock rotation
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.