This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to break the carcase into primals and trim in accordance with relevant specifications.

This unit is applicable to smallgoods operators and meat tradespersons in the retail industry who are required to separate primal cuts for further processing or preparation.

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, regulatory requirements and hygiene 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.

The candidate must be observed breaking carcases into primals and trim cuts in accordance with relevant specifications.

For meat retail the candidate must be able to:

break carcase into primal cuts for a minimum of three species (including beef and sheep)

identify primary cut specifications for beef and at least two species of small stock

For smallgoods manufacturing the candidate must be able to:

break carcase into primal cuts for a minimum of one species

identify primary cut specifications for at least one species

The candidate must:

identify the major anatomical structures of the carcase of each species

prepare equipment for breaking carcase correctly and safely

position or fasten carcase securely for separation

separate carcases into primal cuts for a range of meat cuts (minimum of three species for meat retailing and one species for smallgoods manufacturing), in accordance with workplace, workplace health and safety, hygiene requirements and customer specifications

use acceptable cutting lines to produce primary cuts to workplace requirements

identify contaminated product and take appropriate corrective action

demonstrate safe manual handling techniques

sanitise equipment according to workplace requirements

apply relevant communication skills

apply relevant regulatory requirements

The candidate must demonstrate a factual, technical, procedural and theoretical knowledge of:

hygiene, workplace health and safety, and workplace requirements when breaking carcases

quality requirements for breaking carcases

principles of contamination in regard to primary cuts

relevant regulatory requirements

Competency must be demonstrated over time and under typical operating conditions for the enterprise.

Assessment must occur in the workplace under normal enterprise or production conditions or in a simulated environment.

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 essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.