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 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 and profitability 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. You must also know how to address problems and be able to apply your skills and knowledge within food safety and health and safety regulations and any relevant international industry codes. You should also have an understanding of how the green circular economy supports repeated use of resources and products within your organisation.
This standard is for you if you work in food 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 according to organisational requirements and 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
- use appropriate tools and equipment to process carcasses according to organisational and legal requirements
- process carcasses to meet customer specifications according to organisational and legal requirements
- 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
- follow organisational and regulatory requirements for recycling and sustainable practices
- 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
- why it is important to follow organisational and regulatory requirements on recycling and sustainable practices
- 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