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, generally the edible or useable portions of animals and plants that live in freshwater or saltwater including, but not limited to:
· pelagic deep water species
· inshore demersal species
· crustaceans
· molluscs including cephalopods
· whole, headed, gutted, filleted, frozen, green or cooked fish
· crocodiles
· echinoderms
· re-constituted seafood
· harvest or fishing area
· prohibited species
· Australian Food Standards code
· seasonal nature of availability for some species.

Scientific and correct marketing names:
· approved names
· common names
· foreign names
· seafood marketing names and terms as defined in The Australian Seafood Users Manual or successor publication/s
· Marketing Names for Fish and Seafood in Australia (DPIE 1995) or its successor publication.

Anatomical features including, but not limited to:
· shell, foot, gut, roe, organs
· exoskeleton, limbs, flesh, muscle
· gills, fins, lateral line, shape, colour, scales.

Sensory, chemical and/or microbiological indicators:
· microbial limits
· smell, taste, touch
· colour, flavour, appearance
· presence of cleaning or sanitising chemicals
· physical contamination
· stage of rigor mortis visible in the samples
· presence of defects or parasites.

Processing:
· processing demands
· corrective actions
· market requirements
· recovery rates
· degree-of-difficulty
· product specification/s
· incoming product quality
· product form
· size grades
· shelf life pre- or post-processing.

Scoring system:
· Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1998
· end-product specifications
· AQIS inspection standards
· quality standards
· food safety requirements
· vendor inspection reports.

Yield:
· personnel skills
· production capability
· machine or equipment operation
· incoming product quality
· product parameters.

Productivity:
· yield requirements
· by products
· personnel skills
· production capability
· machine or equipment operation
· incoming product quality
· product parameters.

Documentation:
· vendor documents identifying species, weight and/or origin
· Chain of Custody certificates
· time and temperature logs
· date of capture records
· identity of vessel or provider.

Vendor self-assessment criteria:
· agreed standard by which vendor determines quality of product
· contractual obligations in the event of criteria not being satisfied
· inspection of vendors facilities to confirm capability.

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 and skills
The essential knowledge and understanding a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· correct seafood nomenclature
· internationally accepted seafood marketing names and terms
· Codex Alimentarius Commission, international and national food standards
· sampling techniques
· factors affecting yield
· productivity derived from a range of processing options
· final product specifications
· evaluate seafood by sensor methods using a scoring system.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the standards required include:
· assessing seafood quality against a product specification
· accuracy in determining yield
· identifying stages of deterioration or presence of contaminants
· systematic organisation of work
· attention to detail
· use and care of temperature recording devices.

Oral and written workplace communication used for:
· reading and interpreting product specifications and quality criteria
· completing complex forms
· identifying and tracing product.

Numeracy skills used for:
· calculating yield, productivity and/or volumes
· verifying supplier/vendor information.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· evaluate seafood, by reliable means, to satisfy enterprise requirements, specifications, end-user requirements and other food safety and trading requirements.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
· species available in Australia
· species used but sourced from outside Australia
· requirements for the import of seafood
· food safety standards
· the effects of time and temperature abuse.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit may be assessed after/with:
· No recommendations.

Context of assessment
· Assessment may be conducted in the workplace or a simulated work environment.
· Assessment will need to cover an appropriate cycle of events which is sufficient to encompass the range species or seasonal events experienced by the enterprise.

Method of assessment
The following assessment method is suggested:
· observation of practical demonstration in the workplace
· simulation exercises evaluating batches of seafood.

Resources required for assessment
· visits to fish markets
· visits to fishers cooperatives
· enterprise sampling plan
· laboratory facilities
· registered seafood processing facilities
· examples of product specifications
· examples of customer requirements
· range of product for evaluation.