Elements and Performance Criteria

long shelf life refrigerated foods
short shelf life refrigerated foods
heat-treated refrigerated foods packed for extended shelf life (HTRF)
refrigerated processed foods of extended durability (REPFED)
sous vide foods.

an understanding of physical standards that may present particular risks to vulnerable populations either due to the nature of the food, the preparation method and/or the preparation environment.

obtaining evidence to confirm that a HACCP-based food safety program is complete and effective and will deliver the expected food safety outcomes.

the application of:
existing Australian legislative requirements
challenge tests
peer reviewed scientific papers
targeted scientific reports
validation already carried out in other jurisdictions and recognised by the responsible authority
mathematical modelling, e.g. predictive microbiology models
industry codes of practice (where implementation by food business is verified during audits).

methods and procedures used to carry out monitoring, including sampling and testing to provide evidence that the specifications set by relevant legislation and codes of practice continue to be met.

cook tanks
self-stirring kettles
combi ovens
re-thermalisation cabinets
brat pans
blast chillers
water baths
pump-fill station.

standards or technical specifications set by the system owner based on and in addition to regulatory requirements that relate specifically to food safety.

conducting studies of process evaluation
conducting studies of equipment performance.

Relevant legislation, standards, codes of practice and technical specifications relating to retort requirements may include:
relevant sections of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Australia Cook Chill Council, Guidelines for Chilled Food Production Systems Including Food Safety Programs, 2000
Validation and Verification of Heat Treatment Equipment and Processes (ANZDAC - draft)
international protocols such as those of CODEX Alimentarius Commission
AQIS Code of Hygienic Practice for Heat-treated Refrigerated Foods Packaged for Extended Shelf Life, 1992
state and territory regulations, codes of practice and guidelines.

Target organisms are dependent on the food and cold chain capacity and include:
Listeria monocytogenes
Clostridium botulinum
Bacillus cereus
Salmonella
Yersinia enterocolitica.

Prerequisite programs:
are also referred to as support programs, or acronyms such as good manufacturing practice (GMP), good agricultural practice (GAP) and good hygienic practice (GHP)
can be divided into two categories:
infrastructure and maintenance programs which may include:
layout, design, construction and amenities of buildings and facilities
supplies of air, water, energy and other utilities
equipment, including sanitary design, preventative maintenance, calibration and cleaning and sanitation
support services, including waste and sewage disposal
pest control
operational prerequisite programs which may include:
personal hygiene
measures for the prevention of cross-contamination
packaging and labelling procedures
supplier assurance
chemical storage
employee training
document control
internal audit programs
traceability programs
product integrity and security
cold chain management
inspecting and testing regimes, including analytical and microbiological testing
control of non-conforming product, including product recall programs.

Vulnerable populations are defined by the sensitivity of a population. Examples of sectors serving food to vulnerable populations include:
hospitals
aged care facilities
childcare centres
organisations delivering to housebound people.

Packaging methods include:
controlled atmosphere (CA) packaging
modified atmosphere (MA) packaging
vacuum packing.

Additional reference material includes:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Safe Food Australia - A Guide to the Food Safety Standards, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra
Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, Code of Practice for the Manufacture of Vacuum and Modified Atmosphere Packaged Chilled Foods, (1996)
Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, The Microbiological Safety of Sous-Vide Processing, Technical Manual No 39, (1992).

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can verify cook chill processes for a range of foods to meet regulatory, industry and business standards. They must also demonstrate capacity to confirm that appropriate validation has occurred.

Assessment must confirm that the candidate can:

identify target organisms for a range of foods
determine capacity of distribution chain to control temperature parameters
determine requirements of specific extended and short shelf life cook chill methods for a range of products

participate in audits of HACCP-based food safety programs to demonstrate ability and knowledge of technical aspects of extended and short shelf life cook chill processes - audit scenarios must include:

a five-day cook chill process
a kettle or cook tank cook chill process
a sous vide cook chill process.
For given scenarios where prescribed cook chill processing requirements are not met, assess adequacy of evidence used to determine response procedures.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Competency may be assessed in an actual workplace or simulated environment that provides access to the required resources.
Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints.

The following resources should be made available:

food safety programs covering extended and short shelf life cook chill processes
food safety-related documentation typical of commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf life cook chill products and used for the purpose of verification
evidence or documentation relevant to extended and short shelf life cook chill processes that would typically be used by commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf life cook chill products to support validation processes
plant and equipment that would typically be used by commercial businesses producing extended and short shelf life cook chill products.

Method of assessment
This unit only covers the technical skills and knowledge related to the specific area of risk. Generic food safety auditing skills and knowledge are covered in prerequisite units. While participation in audit processes should follow good auditing practice as specified by prerequisite units, formal assessment of generic food safety auditing competence does not need to be repeated when assessing this unit.
Audits conducted for the purpose of assessment must be witnessed by an auditor competent to audit extended and short shelf life cook chill processes.
Assessment methods must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of FDF03 Food Processing Industry Training Package.

Communicating ideas and information
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Collecting analysing and organising information
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Planning and organising activities
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Working with others and in teams
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Using mathematical ideas and techniques
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Solving problems
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Using technology
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