Elements and Performance Criteria

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.
Occupational health and safety requirements
Codes of practice
Material Safety Data Sheet
Enterprise specific.
Regulations
Australian and international standards including:
professional association regulations
industry guidelines and codes of practice
industry regulations
Food Standards Code
ISO Standards
codex alimentarius
State food regulations
Cans
Cans may be two or three piece and steel or aluminium. Closures may be ring pull or require an opener.
Sealed containers
Sealed containers are vacuum-sealed and may include cryovac, bottling or any other airtight container for food products.
Types of canning equipment
Canning may be carried out using still and agitating retorts that may operate as a batch or continuous process. Continuous agitating types include hydrostatic retorts.
Exhausting systems for retort
These may include heat exhaust, steam injection or mechanical exhaust
Food irradiation methods
Methods to deliver ionising radiation to disrupt RNA including radurization, radicidation and radappertization.
Alternative food preservation methods
These may include the range of chemical preservatives, modified atmosphere packaging, lactic fermentation, sugar or ethanol preservation, emulsification, pressure inactivation, water activity through dehydration or adding solutes, and pulsed electric field processing.

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
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to preserve food products in hermetically sealed containers, and review a commercial canning operation based on test data and documented procedures.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Critical aspects of assessment must include evidence of the following:
oversighting the food preparation for food canning or other hermetically sealed packaging
supervising the set up and operation of hermetically sealed packaging or canning equipment including the production of trial canning
establishing the CCPs and critical limits for a canning process or other hermetically sealed packaging
calculating pressures, temperatures and cooking times to eliminate the risk of microbial spoilage for a canning or hermetic sealing operation.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of performance requirements in this unit should be undertaken within the context of food technology. Competency is demonstrated by performance of all stated criteria, including the critical aspects and knowledge and skills elaborated in the Evidence Guide, and within the scope as defined by the Range Statements applicable to the workplace environment.
Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:
production process and related equipment, manufacturers’ advice and operating procedures
equipment and facilities for carrying out canning processes and testing of canned products.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
written and/or oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding
observation of candidate conducting a range of canning or hermetic sealing operations
a report on review of a canning or hermetic sealing operation.
Guidance information for assessment
Evidence should be gathered over a period of time in a range of actual or simulated environments.