Elements and Performance Criteria

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.
Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS 2542 Sensory analysis
AS 2609.1-2005 Methods for assessing modifications to the flavour of foodstuffs due to packaging - Sensory analysis
AS 2609.2-1983 Materials used for the packaging of food and beverages - Methods for the assessment of odour and taint - Instrumental methods
SOPs
specifications
sampling plans
sensory analysis criteria
reporting documentation
Information used to select suitable panellists may
Information used to select suitable panellists may include:
selection criteria
whether people have been trained or not
information from an initial screening questionnaire
availability
characteristics of unsuitable people such as smokers
sources of bias
company procedures
Samples
Samples may include:
raw materials
ingredients
stages of production
final products
process aids and adjuncts
packaging materials
materials which come in contact with the product
Tests
Tests may be performed to determine the following aspects of a sample:
flavour
appearance
aroma
texture
Testing methods
Testing methods may include:
triangular test, duo-trio test, ranking test, paired comparison test and blending test
flavour profile
threshold analysis
discriminative testing, descriptive testing and affective testing
Attributes which could affect the results
Attributes which could affect the results may include:
age, gender and ethnicity
smoking
medications
qualifications and trained/untrained
random panel
cultural background, as related to food preferences/food styles
The primary flavour characteristics
The primary flavour characteristics include:
sweet/sour
umarmic
bitter/salty
The results obtained from the sensory analysis
The results obtained from the sensory analysis may be applied to:
marketing studies
purchasing requirements
quality assurance at various stages of production
quality control and troubleshooting
research and development of new products
customer returns
product recalls
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

EVIDENCE GUIDE
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 and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
complete the necessary documentation
perform initial screening of panellists and determine their suitability
select suitable panellists
communicate appropriately and recognise the significance of cultural and social contexts
select appropriate test procedures
ensue samples are in a suitable condition for analysis
accurately prepare evaluation samples by dosing or processing
thoroughly analyse data
communicate the significance of results, including the discussion of any errors and/or unexpected variation to appropriate personnel.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL925001A Analyse data and report results.
Resources may include:
statistical data sheets and charts, logbooks and scientific calculators
relevant ISO standards and AS standards
sensory evaluation panel room and group of panellists
access to a range of chemicals and samples.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of written reports which include an analysis of findings from sensory tests conducted by the candidate
observation of candidate conducting panel tests
written/oral questions to assess underpinning knowledge
responses to market scenarios and/or case studies.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment.

This competency in practice
Industry representatives have provided the case study below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Food processing
The quality manager in a dairy food company has an identified product which does not meet enterprise standards. An alternative ingredient has been supplied and used. The sensory analyst has the task of determining whether consumers will be able to detect any differences in this product compared to the standard product. The sensory analyst chooses an appropriate difference test and considers a suitable panellist group from log book records. Samples of the relevant products are stored and prepared under standard test conditions. A full sensory panel is conducted with score sheets, coding, booth preparation and product presentation. After testing, the results are analysed and the test conditions are reviewed. The overall results are presented as a written report to management.