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.

Product recall:
· may include withdrawal-due to product defect, pending further investigation
· recall of product due to hazard to consumers
· from wholesalers retailers and/or consumers
· may need to conform to the food standards code or be in response to the seafood emergency plan
· may impose special transport and/or storage requirements.

Conformance with specifications:
· food standards code
· food product life cycles
· food recall protocols.

Engaging the media:
· authority for initiating contact or responding to approach by media
· nature of recall, i.e. voluntary or compulsory
· liability considerations to the enterprise.

Relevant parties:
· recall sponsor which may include State health authorities
· insurers
· police in the event of an extortion or an attempted extortion
· suppliers relevant to the recall
· legal advisers, own and others
· manufacturer of raw materials or end-product
· importer of raw materials used in the recalled product.

Isolation:
· risk of contamination of manufacturing or storage facility
· may require a central collection site
· may be undertaken with supervision by health authority.

Disposal/destruction process:
· food industry recall protocol
· environmental requirements or obligations.

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 standards include:
· roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in a product (emergency) recall
· State or national health agencies requirements for notification in the event of a food recall
· procedures for recall and/or return of product in the normal course of business
· workplace hygiene and sanitisation policies and procedures
· work instructions relating to relevant processing tasks
· quality assurance principles and practices
· causes and effects of contamination and cross-contamination and corrective actions required
· workteams dynamics and leadership
· communicating with management and other key stakeholders
· recording and reporting information.

Practical skills
The essential skills a person needs to perform work to the required standards include:
· discriminating between the need to recall food product in the normal course of business and a recall based on a serious public health risk.
· implementing recall measures in a timely manner.
· maintaining relationships with clients, customers during the course of a product recall.
· maintaining safe working practices in an emergency setting.
· managing own work and that of workteams while under close scrutiny.
· sorting, collecting, treating, disposing and/or recycling of returned product or wastes.
· managing of media contact.

Oral and written workplace communication skills used for:
· reading and interpreting food standards and recall protocols
· writing media releases
· preparing reports
· using records for traceability
· analysing reports to determine improvements
· communicating food standards to staff.

Numeracy skills used for:
· calculating volumes
· reading and analysing production data
· estimating time including use-by-dates and product shelf life.

Critical aspects of competence
Assessment must confirm the ability to:
· design and manage a product recall which addresses both the day-to-day needs of the food business, and an emergency recall situation which will involve co-operation and communication with numerous external agencies.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:
the procedures to handle food recalls required by Australian Food Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements or its successor standard
· requirements of the enterprise food safety plan
· The Food Business Priority Classification System
· legal and financial issues relevant to the recall of food product
· sampling and test schedules
· product recall documentation, recording and reporting requirements
· the establishment and handling of media relationships during the course of a product recall
· media involvement in emergency situations.

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

Context of assessment
Procedures and documentation used in an assessment should be typical of those used in the workplace for recalls/returns undertaken in the normal course of business. In the case of emergency recalls a set of documents, which may be untested but which satisfy the relevant requirements, may be used.

Method of assessment
Assessment must be made in the context of the seafood industry and should take place primarily on-the-job and under normal working conditions however, in the case of assessment relating to an emergency recall it may only be possible to simulate an emergency situation or to review performance following an event.

Resources required for assessment
· enterprise policy and procedures for the return and/or recall of product
· food recall protocols
· enterprise food safety plan
· relevant standards
· documentation relating to past (recall) events
· access to supervisors and or peers.