Elements and Performance Criteria

The range of variables places the competency in context and allows for differences between enterprises and workplaces, including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range of variables also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole. The following variables may be present.

Seafood and seafood products:
· includes:
· live
· fresh
· frozen
· applies to all species and to products in any state, for example:
· fillets
· whole fish
· opened or unopened molluscs
· processed or unprocessed seafood
· cooked or raw
· aquatic plants, etc.

Appropriate:
The appropriate temperature will vary according to the biological and environmental requirements of the species and the state of the product (live, processed, frozen, cooked, opened etc).

Temperature control system:
· chilling
· freezing.
· with or without ice
· with or without refrigeration.

Storage containers:
· fish boxes
· freezer cartons:
· cardboard
· plastic
· netting bags.

Arranged:
· to ensure stability of vessels:
· free surface effect
· longitudinal and transverse
· to ensure watertight integrity of vessels:
· plastic bags stowed
· sumps clear
· ice removed
· hatches replaced
· to ensure operating temperature of refrigeration system is attained before seafood is loaded
· systematically to aid loading and unloading and packing and unpacking
· to ensure critical temperature of product is achieved and maintained.

Requirements:
· Occupational Health and Safety standards
· customer specifications
· to minimise cross-contamination
· for export, for example, export control orders
· State and Territory food and hygiene regulations
· transport company requirements
· importing country requirements
· enterprise procedures:
· hazard analysis and critical control point
· food safety system.

Quality is enhanced by addressing:
· bruising
· crushing
· freezer burn
· rate of cooling
· contact with cooling medium
· identification of species
· identification of packing date
· packaging requirements.

Cooling medium:
· ice
· ice slurry
· chilled brine
· forced draught coolers
· plate freezers
· blast freezers.

Operating efficiency:
Components monitored and de-iced:
· evaporators
· valves.

Handled:
· according to stock or product rotation practices
· using appropriate personal protective equipment
· after using equipment for checking and improving air quality in the refrigeration system
· using safe lifting practices.

Each unit of competency has an evidence guide that relates directly to the performance criteria and the range of variables. Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit in the workplace and/or training program. The following components provide information to assist this purpose.

Underpinning knowledge
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standard include:
· personal, workplace and product hygiene
· principle of cooling product to optimise quality
· temperature settings within storage facilities
· cool chain principles and practices
· characteristics, procedures and uses of cool rooms
· quality changes that could take place if product or stock incorrectly handled/stored
· storage methods relevant to different seafood products
· correct storage temperature for a range of produce
· Occupational Health and Safety standards
· relationship between seafood temperature and spoilage
· methods of maintaining stability and watertight integrity when loading and unloading from vessels
· planning the placement of seafood to aid loading and unloading
· methods of ensuring effective temperature control using a variety of media.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· cleaning a temperature control system
· using seafood containers
· arranging seafood containers
· monitoring temperature control system and seafood temperature
· using documentation associated with the movement of seafood between locations
· using seafood handling practices:
· safe lifting
· hygiene.

Literacy skills used for:
· reading and writing product labels, inventories, invoices and receipts.

Numeracy skills used for:
· monitoring temperature.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· maintain product quality and safety through correct temperature control, and to monitor the critical temperature of seafood.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· food safety legislation requirements
· appropriate temperatures
· parameters that indicate seafood quality.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with :
· SFICORE101B - Apply basic food handling and safety practices.

Context of assessment
Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
· written or oral short answer testing
· practical exercises
· project work
· observation of practical demonstration.

Resources required for assessment
Resources may include:
· temperature measuring equipment
· facilities for handling seafood product
· seafood containers
· seafood
· ice rooms
· brine tanks
· freezers.