Carry out seaming or filleting of meat or poultry
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to carry out seaming or filleting of meat or poultry in operations. Seaming or filleting to remove whole muscle from bones or from other muscle is a key skill in meat production, important in producing a final product that adheres to organisational and customer requirements.
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 seaming or filleting of meat or poultry.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- prepare to carry out seaming or filleting according to organisational requirements and standards
- wear and use personal protective equipment according to regulatory standards and organisational requirements
- check with the relevant person the seaming or filleting required
- check the availability and cleanliness of work area, tools and equipment
- source the meat or poultry requiring seaming or filleting
- 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
- check that meat for seaming or filleting meets organisational specifications and follow organisational procedures if it does not
- produce fillets to quantities that meet organisational yield and quality specifications
- quality check and separate according to grading and organisational requirements
- make fillets available to next stage of processing
- maintain pace of production according to organisational requirements
- store waste for disposal according to organisational standards
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- why it is important to follow organisational and regulatory operating procedures when carrying out seaming or filleting operations
- the work area tools and equipment needed to carry out seaming or filleting
- why it is important to check the cleanliness of tools and equipment
- how to avoid contamination and maintain food safety during seaming or filleting operations
- how to handle the meat or poultry carcass to maintain its quality
- why precision cutting is important to filleting or seaming
- seaming or filleting cutting lines and guides for meat and/or poultry
- why it is important to maintain the flow of production
- why it is important to adhere to organisational yield and quality requirements
- how to store waste products for disposal according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
- how ineffective seaming or filleting can lead to wastage, potential customer complaints and lost revenue
- 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