Produce sausages by hand

URN: IMPMP166
Business Sectors (Suites): Meat and Poultry Processing
Developed by: Improve
Approved on: 2025

Overview

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to produce sausages by hand in food operations. Producing batches of sausages by hand using semi-automated equipment is a key skill in meat processing and butchery outlets.
 
You will need to be able to prepare ingredients and equipment, follow a product specification and work to organisational procedures. You must also be able to hand produce a batch of sausages. 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 the production of sausages by hand.


Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. prepare to produce sausages according to organisational requirements and standards
  2. wear and use personal protective equipment according to regulatory standards and organisational requirements
  3. check the availability and cleanliness of work area, tools and equipment
  4. source sausage recipe and product specification
  5. collect recipe ingredients to produce required sausages
  6. mince meat and fat, ensuring even distribution of fat through the mixture
  7. check visual lean of meat and adjust if necessary
  8. prepare sausage casings according to organisational requirements and procedures
  9. weigh ingredients adhering to product recipe
  10. add ingredients to meat/fat mince, mixing thoroughly after each addition
  11. start-up sausage extruder, load with casings and meat mixture and check it is operating according to organisational requirements
  12. produce sausage length to required product specification
  13. link sausages, by hand, to required product specification
  14. check sausage yield and quality against product recipe and specification
  15. store sausages according to organisational specification and requirements
  16. clean personal protective equipment, work area, tools and equipment to organisational procedures
  17. store waste for disposal according to organisational procedures and legal and regulatory requirements

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. how to access organisational procedures
  2. the organisational and regulatory procedures that must be adhered to when making sausages
  3. the personal protective equipment required to make
  4. the tools and equipment needed to make sausages
  5. why it is important to have clean personal protective equipment, work area, tools and equipment when making sausages
  6. why it is important to keep meat or poultry cold when making sausages
  7. how to access the organisational specifications and recipes for sausages
  8. why it is important to adhere to the specific sausage recipe
  9. why it is important to mix ingredients thoroughly
  10. the importance of controlling allergens according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
  11. the differing specifications that relate to various products including sausages, links, chipolatas sausage meat
  12. how to estimate “VL” or “visual lean” and why it is important to sausage making
  13. the importance of keeping waste to a minimum, its effect on yield and the loss of revenue from sausage production
  14. how to check sausage yield and quality against organisational specification
  15. why it is important to check for yield and quality when producing sausages
  16. the importance of carrying out quality checks against organisational specifications
  17. the different types of waste occurring as a result of producing sausages by hand and how they should be disposed of according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
  18. the limits of your own authority and competence and why it is important to work within those limits
  19. what recording, reporting and communication is needed, how to carry this out and the reasons why it is important to do so

Scope/range


Scope Performance


Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours


Skills


Glossary


Links To Other NOS


External Links


Version Number

1

Indicative Review Date

2028

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Improve

Original URN

IMPMP166

Relevant Occupations

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Manufacturing Technologies, Plant and Machine Operatives, Process Operatives

SOC Code

8111

Keywords

Meat, poultry, sausage, produce, butchery, food