Application
This unit has application for fish processing facilities, and wholesale and retail outlets that cook and pack crustaceans. All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines, food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures and ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles. Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer instructions. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected, checked, used and maintained. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Prepare work area | 1.1. OHS hazards in the workplace are identified, assessed, reported and controlled using the hierarchy of control model. 1.2. Work area is cleaned before commencing and hygienic conditions maintained throughout processing. 1.3. Equipment for grading, boiling, cooling and chilling cooked product is clean and in full working order. 1.4. Sufficient potable ice, clean baskets and cold potable water are available. 1.5. Cooker is filled with potable water and set to boil. 1.6. Clean salt is added to the water if required, but in an amount that ensures the residue in the cooked product does not exceed levels stipulated. 1.7. Water in cooker is vigorously boiling before any product is placed into it. |
2. Prepare crustaceans | 2.1. Frozen product is thawed in air or potable water ensuring that the temperature of the product does not rise above what is permitted in the enterprise food safety plan and food regulations. 2.2. Frozen raw product is checked during thawing to ensure melanosis does not develop, according to customer specifications. 2.3. Thawed product is maintained within the temperature range stipulated in enterprise food safety plan when being transferred to clean perforated baskets before size grading. 2.4. Fresh product is washed and checked for cleanliness and signs of sand, weed and debris, soft shell, spoilage and disease and parasites, according to customer specifications. 2.5. Mud crabs are brushed free of mud clinging to the underside of the body. 2.6. Product is size graded before cooking. |
3. Boil, cool and pack crustaceans | 3.1. Crustaceans are carefully and safely placed into the vigorously boiling water, for the time appropriate for the species and size, to cook product, kill bacteria and denature enzymes. 3.2. Amount of crustaceans placed into the boiling water is correct for the size of the cooker and the size of the product. 3.3. Cooked crustaceans are carefully and safely removed from the cooker and placed into a cooling tank for a time appropriate for the size and species so that cooked product yield requirements are met. 3.4. Cooled product is packed with clean potable ice, into clean containers and cooled to the temperature required by food regulations. 3.5. Packed product is weighed and labelled and then placed into cold storage until ready for further processing or distribution according to customer specifications. 3.6. Identification and traceability of product is maintained according to enterprise food safety program. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
cleaning, and maintaining a hygienic workplace and work area communicating orally to give and receive information identifying hazards and applying risk controls identifying signs of spoilage and common crustacean defects, diseases and parasites in raw and cooked species identifying species safely using cookers powered by gas or electricity or steam. Literacy skills used for: interpreting customer specifications interpreting enterprise procedures reading, writing and checking information on labels. Numeracy skills used for: interpreting food safety program on quantities and times for different species, graded sizes and pot sizes interpreting written weight measurements grading product according to size. |
Required knowledge |
enterprise quality system procedures addressing customer specifications, humane treatment of animals, and product identification and traceability food safety procedures and regulations that apply when handling, cooking, cooling, storing and packaging raw and cooked crustaceans OHS standards in regard to basic minor burn first aid procedures, cooking crustaceans, and lifting and moving heavy loads personal, workplace and product hygiene principles spoilage patterns and signs of common defects, diseases and parasites in raw and cooked crustaceans. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit | Assessment must confirm the ability to: identify species, signs of spoilage, and common crustacean defects, diseases and parasites meet OHS standards prepare and cook, cool, chill and pack crustaceans that meet customer specifications as well as food safety regulations and enterprise yield requirements. Assessment must confirm knowledge of: common crustacean defects, diseases and parasites cooking times and indicators for different crustacean species or different sizes of the one species food safety requirements for handling and storing crustaceans spoilage pattern for the species |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment. To ensure consistency and level of performance, product of different species or sizes correctly cooked, cooled, iced and stored must be demonstrated. Resources may include: a cooker cooling tubs, fish tubs, lug boxes and running cool potable water potable ice raw crustaceans, fresh and frozen scales thaw tank. |
Method of assessment | The following assessment methods are suggested: demonstration oral questions. |
Guidance information for assessment | This unit may be assessed holistically with other seafood processing units within a qualification. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Relevant government regulations, licensing and other compliance requirements may include: | business or workplace operations, policies and practices correct marketing names and labelling environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control food safety/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders health and welfare of aquatic animals OHS hazard identification, risk assessment and control. |
OHS guidelines may include: | appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers clean, uncluttered, hygienic workplace codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner OHS training register safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances safe systems and procedures for the protection of people in the workplace the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PP). |
Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures may include: | AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders Australian Shellfish Sanitation program chain of custody (temperature and contamination control) equipment design, use and maintenance HACCP hygiene and sanitation requirements location, construction and servicing of seafood premises Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary) requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code. |
ESD principles may include: | controlling effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution improving energy efficiency increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources minimising noise or odour emissions reducing emissions of greenhouse gases reducing energy use reducing use of non-renewable resources undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control using and recycling of water, and maintaining water quality. |
PPE may include: | gloves, mitts or gauntlets, and protective hand and arm covering insulated protective clothing for freezers or chillers and refrigeration units non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear protective hair, beard and boot covers uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons). |
Hierarchy of control model: | is a system for developing risk controls with the priority being, in order: eliminate the hazards substitute the hazard for a lesser hazard or risk isolate the hazard use engineering controls use administrative controls use PPE. |
Equipment may include: | cooker (e.g. hand operated, automatic or mechanised) power source (e.g. gas or electricity or steam) product cooling tanks scoops brushes fish crates or lug boxes insulated cartons potable water and ice ice shovels cool room shelving. |
Customer specifications may relate to: | soft shell male or female female in roe arms, claws and legs overweight cooking time cooling time size grading pack size packaging material melanosis (e.g. presence, absence or degree). |
Species may include: | prawns lobsters mud crabs bugs spanner crabs blue swimmer crabs yabbies or freshwater crayfish. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Seafood processing |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor