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.
Production techniques may include:
location
flock/herd size
feedlots or paddock raised
organic
research trials.

Species to be slaughtered may include:
cattle
sheep
goats
pigs
horses
ratites
crocodiles.
Traceability requirements may include:
National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS)
ear and tail tags
state-based requirements
PigPass
disease notification
customer requirements, such as Country of Origin Labelling (COOL).

Purchasing process and selling alternatives may include:
contractual requirements
'over the hook'
live purchasing in paddock or saleyards
computer selling
major customers (e.g. Woolworths, Tesco, McDonalds) paddock-plate purchasing systems.

Critical elements of the slaughtering process will include:
animal welfare and handling requirements
quality determinants (e.g. stress)
carcase description
food safety and testing regimes
stunning and slaughtering procedures
hide removal
evisceration
time and temperature requirements for carcase chilling and freezing.
Critical elements of the boning process will include:
cut descriptions
integrated/independents boning rooms
customer specifications
packaging
refrigeration and freezing requirements
transport arrangements
traceability
micro testing
hygiene and sanitation
physical and micro contamination.

Export and domestic requirements will include
Approved Arrangements
livestock traceability
micro testing
product traceability and recall arrangements
regulatory and standards frameworks
roles and requirements of Australian Quarantine Inspection Service AQIS and State Meat Authorities
Meat Hygiene Assessment (MHA)
Refrigeration Index
MSA
food safety testing regimes
animal welfare
social accountability
food safety
market access
cuts and specifications
religious requirements
kill method
processing and packing procedures
types of packaging
environmental impacts of meat production and processing.
Key legislation and regulations may include:
Australian Standards
Export Act
Approved Arrangements
State-based legislation
Codes of Practice (e.g. Animal Welfare)
OH&S legislation.
Meat testing programs may include:
microbiological testing
residue testing
species testing
temperature logging
Critical Control Points (CCPs)
role of AQIS and National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) in laboratory accreditation.
Product sources for smallgoods production may include:
imported product
Australian product
different species (e.g. cattle, sheep, goats and pigs)
product additives and mixes (e.g. emulsions, spices and nitrites/nitrates).
Smallgoods products and production processes will include:
smoked product
cooked product
Uncooked Comminuted Fermented Meat UCFM
dried meats
factory-type production techniques
independent retailer production techniques
regulatory requirements
processing equipment.
Food safety requirements impacting smallgoods production will include:
UCFM
thawing processes
uncooked/cooked product handling requirements
blending/batching processes
packaging requirements
product storage and transport requirements.

Regulatory requirements impacting meat retailing will include:
role of State and Council authorities
environmental requirements
legislation, regulations and Codes of Practice
OH&S, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) legislation
Modern Awards
Food Standards Code.
Customer requirements and expectations affecting meat retailing may include:
species and cuts
packaging
value-adding
religious
dietary and allergen requirements.
Key issues impacting meat industry employmentmay include:
labour supply and market characteristics
meat industry career structures
role and nature of training
role of overseas workers
seasonal and market factors
national policies and regulations.

Environmental impacts of a meat processing site may include:
water use
waste water
emissions
power sources and consumption.

Changing customer expectations may include:
animal welfare and handling
organic production
social accountability
ethical production
traceability.

Key industry bodies will include
state and federal regulators
peak industry bodies (e.g. MLA, AMIC and AMPC)
unions covering the industry (e.g. (Australian Meat industry Employees Union AMIEU))
AUS-MEAT
Standards determining bodies:
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS ANZ)
Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

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
The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.

These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.
Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.

All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Critical aspects of assessment must include the following:
describe the livestock production and marketing, and retailing systems for the meat industry
document the sequence of operations for livestock slaughter and meat processing
define processes for a range of meat smallgoods
describe production factors influencing meat quality and safety
comply with industry requirements for hygiene, OH&S and other work practices.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of performance requirements in this unit should be undertaken within the context of food technology in the meat processing industry.

Assessment must occur in a real or simulated workplace where the candidate has access to:
production process and related equipment, manufacturers' advice and operating procedures
equipment and facilities for carrying out slaughtering of livestock and processing of primary cuts of meat.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
written and/or oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding
direct or third-party evidence of compliance with enterprise procedures for hygiene and OHS
a process chart developed and explanation of the sequence of operations for meat processing in an abattoir.
Evidence should be gathered over a period of time in a range of actual or simulated environments.

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander, gender, or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.
Guidance information for assessment
A current list of resources for this unit of competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.