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.
Physical contaminants
Physical contaminants include all foreign objects that are caused by or come from:
the raw material source
processing systems
processing equipment
housekeeping standards
Sources of contamination include:
employees (e.g. hair, bandaids, glasses, jewellery and coins or other contaminants, such as dirt, pests, food and raw materials)
maintenance and cleaning procedures (e.g. metal shavings, grease from equipment, nuts and bolts, dirty equipment from previous products and glass breakages)
packaging materials (e.g. ink, dye, staples, paper, cardboard and plastic)
pests (e.g. evidence of rodents gnawing on packages, rodent hair, droppings and debris)
incorrectly labelled or packaged raw materials
industrial sabotage (e.g. tampering anywhere through the production process)
accumulation of dusts from unclean environments
Control measures for physical contaminants
Control measures to reduce contamination may include:
use of personal protective equipment
clothing standards (e.g. enclosed hair and no jewellery)
metal detectors
rulings against glass in production or packaging areas
covering of raw materials and equipment
maintenance, cleaning and housekeeping programs
inspection schedules
reporting requirements and procedures
emergency procedures
Chemical contaminants
Chemical contamination includes the introduction of unwanted substances or an unplanned reaction between different products.
Sources of chemical contamination include:
unwanted chemicals remaining on food preparation surfaces (e.g. cleaning chemicals)
chemicals remaining in food material after processing
too much or the wrong chemical added during manufacture
insecticide, pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics that build up during the growth cycle of the food source
Control measures for chemical contaminants
Control measures for chemical contaminants include safe handling of chemical contaminants, such as:
storing chemicals away from food production areas
using correct containers for storing and dispensing chemicals
correctly labelling chemicals in containers
calculating and applying correct quantities
ensuring chemical record sheets are filled in correctly
Microbiological contaminants
Microbiological contaminants include micro-organisms that in food that poison or spoil it.
Types of micro-organisms associated with microbiological risks include:
fungi
yeasts
moulds
viruses
bacteria
Control measures for biological contaminants
Control measures for biological contaminants include:
temperature and climate controls
personal hygiene standards
storage and processing conditions
chemical controls
housekeeping standards
pest controls
Allergens
Allergens include:
food substances, such as nuts, milk products
pollen and grain

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
Assessment must be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competence in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of ability to:
identify potential physical, chemical and microbiological contaminants in the workplace and their likely sources
identify risks associated with these contaminants and the control measures to manage risks
describe allergens and control measures that relate to workplace
identify workplace procedures to control risks and assess effectiveness in practice
implement workplace control measures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the assessee has access to:
workplace food safety program documentation
advice on quality and food safety legislation
procedures for implementing control measures and other advice on food safety requirements
other recording requirements.

Method of assessment
This unit should be assessed together with core units and other units of competency relevant to the function or work role.

Guidance information for assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.