Eviscerate animals or birds for Kosher meat and poultry
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to eviscerate meat or poultry in food operations.
After Shechita, the internal organs of animals or birds must be removed if the meat is to be suitable for food. This is called evisceration. Some of the internal organs can be eaten and are sold for valuable extra income. Some are used for further processing and manufacture of meat products. The waste must be dealt with safely and hygienically. You should also have an understanding of how the green circular economy supports repeated use of resources and products within your organisation.
All the organs must be handled and processed carefully so that the maximum possible value can be gained from them. The knowledge required to eviscerate will contribute towards gaining the maximum value from the internal organs.
You must also know how to address problems and adhere to regulatory standards and standard operating procedures and be able to apply your skills and knowledge within food safety and health and safety regulations and any relevant international industry codes.
This standard is for you if you work in food operations and are involved in the evisceration of meat or poultry by hand.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- follow procedures in accordance with your religion
- prepare to eviscerate animals and birds for Kosher meat and poultry in accordance with organisational requirements and standards
- wear and use personal protective equipment in accordance with regulatory standards and organisational requirements
- check availability of meat or poultry for evisceration
- assemble tools and equipment needed for evisceration
- check availability of facilities for viscera and carcass with relevant people
- check appropriate preparation of meat or poultry has taken place for clean efficient evisceration
- position the carcass for the safe, hygienic removal of viscera
- open the carcass following organisational standards
- identify the viscera you are required to remove from the carcass
- locate and sever the membranous attachments that secure the viscera
- remove viscera from carcass
- trim edible viscera to organisational and regulatory specifications
- store edible and inedible viscera in accordance with organisational requirements and standards
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the purpose of eviscerating animals or birds
- the evisceration process for animals or birds in accordance with Halacha
- the internal organs of animals or birds and the examination process required
- the problems that can result from ineffective evisceration
- the differences in treatment of edible and inedible offal
- organisational procedures for opening carcasses in accordance with Halacha
- the tools and equipment used for evisceration
- organisational procedures for maintaining the hygiene of evisceration tools and equipment
- inspection procedures and standards for offal
- the legal requirements for evisceration procedures
- the rules of Kashrut to determine what can be used and what should be removed in accordance with Halacha
- the workplace controls involved in evisceration
- the limits of your own authority and competence and why it is important to work within those limits
- what recording, reporting and communication is needed, how to carry this out and the reasons why it is important to do so