Break down red meat carcasses
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to breakdown a complete red meat carcass into sections that will require further processing. This includes carcasses of beef, lamb, pork, goat, veal and venison.
This competence highlights the importance of making choices regarding the quality meat being cut and ensuring that care is taken to reduce damage to the meat.
Knowing how to breakdown whole red meat carcasses is a key skill required by those working at an advanced level in the meat processing industry.
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 breaking down complete red meat carcasses.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- prepare to break down red meat carcasses according to organisational requirements and standards
- wear and use personal protective equipment according to regulatory standards and organisational requirements
- check the availability and cleanliness of work area, tools and equipment
- check that the carcass is securely suspended
- source product specification for carcass breakdown
- agree plans for production with relevant personnel
- follow organisational specification for the range of cuts required
- check meat adheres to visual quality specification
- take effective action if the meat does not meet quality specification
- remove offal and store according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
- maintain quality of meat and poultry when handling
- identify and act upon opportunities to recover and utilise waste
- comply with health and safety, food safety and organisational requirements
- present the completed product to the relevant personnel for approval
- store waste for disposal according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
- review the quality and quantity of product against specification
- report on the volume of product produced
- store the completed product according to organisational requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to access organisational procedures
- the organisational and regulatory procedures that must be adhered to when breaking down red meat carcasses
- the personal protective equipment required when breaking down carcasses
- the tools and equipment needed to cut complete carcasses, including the range of hoists, saws, and knives
- why it is important to have clean personal protective equipment, work area, tools and equipment when breaking down carcasses
- how to access the organisational specifications for the specific primary cuts required
- why it is important to adhere to the specific meat product specification
- the importance of keeping waste to a minimum when breaking down carcasses, its effect on yield and potential loss of revenue
- how to check meat product yield against product specification
- why it is important to check for yield when producing meat products
- the importance of carrying out quality checks against organisational specifications
- the appropriate packing, wrapping and storage for the cuts produced
- the different types of waste occurring as a result of producing primary cuts during carcass breakdown
- how waste products should be stored for disposal according to organisational and legal and regulatory requirements
- 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