Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to cure and corn various meat products.
Smallgoods and value-adding establishments may prepare product for wholesale customers, and meat retailers for retail customers.
This unit must be delivered in the context of Australian meat processing standards and regulations.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace requirements and hygiene and sanitation standards.
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.
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. Prepare, operate and clean processing equipment used for curing and corning product | 1.1 Prepare processing equipment in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, workplace health and safety, hygiene and sanitation, and workplace requirements 1.2 Operate processing equipment in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, workplace health and safety, hygiene and sanitation, and workplace requirements 1.3 Clean processing equipment in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, workplace health and safety, hygiene and sanitation and workplace requirements |
2. Prepare meat | 2.1 Select meat in accordance with product specifications 2.2 Prepare meat in accordance with product specifications, hygiene and workplace requirements |
3. Prepare ingredients | 3.1 Select and prepare ingredients in accordance with product specifications, hygiene and workplace requirements |
4. Prepare brines | 4.1 Add required amount of water, other liquids and solid additives in correct order and mix in accordance with product specifications, hygiene and workplace requirements 4.2 Prepare brine solutions in accordance with product specifications, hygiene and workplace requirements 4.3 Use hydrometer (salinometer) to check brine solution |
5. Process meat | 5.1 Cure or corn meat in accordance with product specifications, health regulations and workplace and production requirements 5.2 Regularly monitor processing 5.3 Make adjustments to processing to achieve product specifications |
6. Store meat product | 6.1 On completion of processing, store product in accordance with product specifications, hygiene, regulatory and workplace requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must be observed curing and corning various meat products.
The candidate must:
identify meat cuts used in curing and corning
identify various ingredients used in curing and explain their purposes
identify sub-standard product and address the problem according to workplace requirements
follow recipes and procedures accurately
activate processing equipment to assess its readiness for operational use
operate mixing machines for required length of time
operate adjustment tools and equipment correctly
perform running adjustments in accordance with workplace requirements and manufacturer's specifications
pump meat correctly to avoid air pockets
pump meat to increase weight in accordance with workplace requirements
perform curing and corning in accordance with workplace, workplace health and safety, hygiene and regulatory requirement
demonstrate correct pickling procedures in accordance with product specifications and workplace requirements
wash residue from cured meats following removal from holding brine
report any faults and required adjustments to processing equipment in accordance with workplace procedures
use tools and cleaning agents appropriate to the cleaning activity and manufacturer's specifications
apply relevant communication and mathematical skills
apply relevant regulatory requirements
seek advice from appropriate sources when working with new products or equipment
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a factual, technical, procedural and theoretical knowledge of:
conditions under which equipment may need adjusting
function of various additives and ingredients
meat curing process
purpose and effect of brine on meat
health regulations which apply to curing and corning of meats
effects of curing on shelf life and taste of product
purpose and use of processing equipment used in curing and corning products
purpose of correct water temperature and correct additive sequence
reasons for pickling in accordance with pump percentage and yield requirements
selection criteria for meat for the curing or corning process
relevant regulatory requirements
maximum amount of nitrite allowed in cured, corned or salted meats
procedures for cleaning processing equipment
'osmosis' in relation to the curing process
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be demonstrated under typical operating conditions within the parameters of role and responsibilities.
Assessment must occur in the workplace under normal production conditions.
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.