Carry out primal cutting of meat or poultry
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to carry out primal cutting of meat or poultry in food manufacture and/or supply operations. Beef, lamb, pork, venison and goat carcass sides and quarters are generally broken down into primal cuts as the first stage of butchery. Primal cutting requires a high level of skill and has a significant effect on the overall efficiency of butchery operations. You need to be able to use the correct tools and equipment, maximise yield and maintain quality, handle and store meat or poultry and dispose of waste products following organisational and regulatory standards. This standard is for you if you work in food manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in carrying out primal cutting of meat or poultry.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Prepare to process a carcass
prepare to process a carcass in accordance with organisational
standards
wear and use appropriate personal protective equipment in
accordance with regulatory standards and organisational
requirements
check with the relevant person the cuts of meat or poultry
requiring primal cutting
check the availability and cleanliness of work area, tools and
equipment
source the carcasses that require primal cutting
choose the correct knives and ensure they are sharp, clean and
suitable for purpose
check availability of storage areas for final product and waste
materials
refer problems outside limits of your responsibility to relevant
people
Process a carcass
use appropriate tools and equipment safely to process carcasses
process carcasses efficiently, safely and hygienically to meet
customer specifications
check that the meat or poultry joints meet organisational quality
and yield specifications
maintain pace of production according to organisational
requirements
keep waste to a minimum and store in the correct place for
disposal
move the processed meat for storage or to the next stage of
production
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
why it is important to follow organisational and regulatory
operating procedures when carrying out primal cutting of meat or
poultry
- the work area tools and equipment needed to carry out primal
cutting
- why it is important to check the cleanliness of work area, tools and
equipment
the importance of controlling potential allergens
the importance of temperature control requirements
how to avoid contamination and maintain food safety during
primal cutting operations
how to handle the meat or poultry carcass to maintain its quality
the key primal cuts of red and white meat species
the importance of precision cutting in primal butchery including
yield and margin control
the specific knives used in primal butchery
how to use the specific knives used in primal butchery
how to access the organisational quality and yield specifications
and why it is important to adhere to them when carrying out primal
butchery
- why it is important to maintain the pace of production according to
organisational requirements
- how to dispose of waste from primal butchery according to
regulatory and organisational requirements