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.
Cook chill products
Cook chill products may include:
long shelf-life refrigerated foods
short shelf-life refrigerated foods
heat-treated refrigerated foods (HTRF)packed for extended shelf-life
refrigerated processed foods of extended durability (REPFED)
sous vide foods
Physical food safety hazards
Physical food safety hazards include 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
Validation
Validation refers to obtaining evidence to confirm that a HACCP-based food safety program is complete and effective and will deliver the expected food safety outcomes
Validation evidence
Validation evidence confirms that control measures are capable of being consistently effective and may include 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)
Verification
Verification refers to 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
Equipment
Equipment includes:
cook tanks
self-stirring kettles
combi ovens
re-thermalisation cabinets
brat pans
blast chillers
water baths
pump-fill station
Business standards
Business standards refer to standards or technical specifications set by the system owner based on and in addition to regulatory requirements that relate specifically to food safety
Test methods
Test methods include:
conducting studies of process evaluation
conducting studies of equipment performance
Relevant legislation, standards, codes of practice and technical specifications
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
Target organisms are dependent on the food and cold chain capacity and include:
Listeria monocytogenes
Clostridium botulinum
Bacillus cereus
Salmonella
Yersinia enterocolitica
Prerequisite programs
Prerequisite programs are also referred to as support programs, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Good Hygienic Practice (GHP).
Prerequisite programs can be divided into two categories:
Infrastructure and maintenance programs. These 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. These 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
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
Packaging methods include:
controlled atmosphere (CA) packaging
modified atmosphere (MA) packaging
vacuum packing
Additional reference material
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 Publications

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
A person who demonstrates competence 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 be carried out in a manner that recognises the cultural and literacy requirements of the assessee and is appropriate to the work performed. Competency in this unit must be achieved in accordance with food safety standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of ability to:
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.
The following assessment methods should be considered to gather sufficient and valid evidence of competency:
observation and a report covering the audits specified in this
oral and written questioning to test the level and application of knowledge relevant to identifying target organisms for a range of foods, determining capacity of distribution chain to control temperature parameters and determining requirements of specific extended and short shelf-life cook chill methods for a range of products
workplace example or scenario to allow verification of records for food safety to be demonstrated.
Audits conducted for the purpose of assessment must be witnessed by an auditor competent to audit extended and short shelf-life cook chill processes.

Guidance information for assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.