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 1766.0-1995 Food microbiology - General introduction and list of methods
AS ISO 1000-1998 The international system of units (SI) and its application
AS ISO 17025-2005 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
AS/NZS 2243 Set:2006 Safety in laboratories set
AS/NZS ISO 9000 Set:2008 Quality management systems set
ISO/TS 19036 Set:2006 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Guidelines for the estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative determinations
Australia New Zealand Food Standards (ANZFS) Code
Australian code of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products (GMP)
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Orders) Regulations 1982
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Import Guidelines
calibration and maintenance schedules
data quality procedures
enterprise recording and reporting procedures
equipment startup, operation and shutdown procedures
gene technology regulations
industry standards, such as Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) or American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACI) methods for colour, moisture, total ash, fats and proteins, nitrogen, fibre, micro-organisms and viscosity
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
material, production and product specifications (including maximum residue levels)
national measurement regulations and guidelines
principles of good laboratory practice (GLP)
production and laboratory schedules
quality manuals, equipment and procedures manuals
SOPs and in-house methods
Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1009
Sample preparation processes
Sample preparation processes may include:
grinding
milling
preparation of discs
dissolving
ashing
refluxing
extracting
filtration
evaporation
flocculation
precipitation and centrifugation
culturing of selected micro-organisms
digestion
degassing
temperature equilibration
Principles and concepts underpinning the test/procedure
Principles and concepts underpinning the test/procedure may include:
ions, atoms, molecules, bonding, affinities and related properties
chemical reactions (acid/base and complexiometric)
structure and properties of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals
food additives, flavourings and essences
nutrient value of major food groups
interaction of water with food components
microbiology, including incubation characteristics, selective media, growth stages of bacterial cultures and reference organisms
microbiology of organisms with public health significance
chemical and microbial changes in food
food preservation techniques
fermentation process
packaging and controlled atmosphere
elastic properties of materials and hardness
cohesive/adhesive forces, fluid flow and viscosity
changes of state, energy content and enthalpy change
electromagnetic spectrum and absorption, emission and refraction of light
quality control program for raw materials, process control and finished product inspection
genetically modified foods
Food tests and procedures
Food tests and procedures may include:
visual and sensory tests:
appearance, taste, texture, colour and odour of foods
melting point, boiling point and freezing point
sediments and scorched particles
foreign matter
damage to packaging and compatibility of packaging
dispersability
chemical analysis:
pH, conductivity and moisture content
solids, fats, proteins and carbohydrates
ash analysis and salt analysis
titratable acids, iodine values and peroxide values
enzyme activity
specific ions and active ingredients
microbiological tests and procedures:
isolation, detection, classification to genera and some species or micro-organisms
enumeration and nomenclature of desirable/ non-desirable micro-organisms
propagation and maintenance of yeast, bacteria and cultures used in food processing
measurement of spoilage and contamination
sterility, hygiene and sanitation checks
optical/spectrometric tests:
ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometry
refractive index
optical rotation
physical/mechanical tests:
mass, volume, density, specific gravity and particle size
foreign matter
rheology, viscosity and gel strength
'wetability' and 'whipability'
homogenisation
browning (sugar content)
elasticity, hardness, compressibility and strength
starch quality
thermal tests:
calorific values
stability of products
effectiveness of heat treatments
Tests
Tests may include methods for:
control of starting materials, in-process materials and finished products
health monitoring
basic troubleshooting of production processes
Hazards
Hazards may include:
microbiological organisms and agents associated with soil, air, water, plants, animal tissue and fluids
chemicals, such as acids, heavy metals, pesticides and hydrocarbons
aerosols from broken centrifuge tubes and pipetting
sharps and broken glassware
flammable liquids and gases
cryogenics, such as dry ice and liquid nitrogen
fluids under pressure, such as steam and industrial gases
sources of ignition
high temperature ashing processes
disturbance or interruption of services
Hazard control measures
Hazard control measures may include:
ensuring access to service shut-off points
recognising and observing hazard warnings and safety signs
labelling of samples, reagents, aliquoted samples and hazardous materials
handling and storage of hazardous materials and equipment in accordance with labelling, MSDS and manufacturer's instructions
identifying and reporting operating problems or equipment malfunctions
cleaning and decontaminating equipment and work areas regularly using enterprise procedures
using personal protective clothing and equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, coveralls, gown, body suits and respirators
using containment facilities (PCII, PCIII and PCIV physical containment laboratories), containment equipment (biohazard containers, laminar flow cabinets, Class I, II and III biohazard cabinets) and containment procedures
following established manual handling procedures
reporting abnormal emissions, discharges and airborne contaminants, such as noise, light, solids, liquids, water/waste water, gases, smoke, vapour, fumes, odour and particulates to appropriate personnel
Records
Records may include:
test and calibration results
equipment use, maintenance and servicing history
faulty or unsafe equipment
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:
interpret test methods/procedures accurately
prepare and test samples using procedures appropriate to the nature of sample
perform calibration checks (if required)
safely operate test equipment/instruments to enterprise standards and/or manufacturer's specification
prepare calibration graphs and calculate results using appropriate units and precision
apply basic theoretical knowledge to interpret gross features of data and make relevant conclusions
identify atypical results as out of normal range or an artefact
trace and source obvious causes of an artefact
communicate problems to a supervisor or outside service technician
record and communicate results in accordance with enterprise procedures
maintain security, integrity, traceability of samples, sub-samples, test data/results and documentation.

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:
MSL924001AProcess and interpret data.
Resources may include:
standard laboratory equipped with test equipment, instruments, standards and materials
enterprise procedures and standard methods.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of test data/results obtained by the candidate over a period of time to check accuracy, consistency and timeliness of results
review of test records and workplace documentation completed by the candidate
observation of candidate conducting a range of food tests and procedures and sample preparation
feedback from peers and supervisors
oral or written questioning of food technology concepts and principles, test methods and enterprise procedures.
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
A technician was required to conduct an analysis of the level of sorbic acid in samples of processed cheese. She/he set up and calibrated the distillation unit while the samples were prepared. The controls and samples were distilled and placed in the spectrometer at 260 nm. Readings were carefully recorded for each sample and control flask. The control sample readings at the beginning and end of the testing period were compared for any variance. The technician worked quickly and excluded light from the reactants as they were light sensitive. Analytical data was presented to the supervisor for checking and signing-off for release of the product batch prior to the results being recorded on a daily run chart for viewing by production personnel.