Prepare and finish poultry carcasses
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge you need to prepare a range of different poultry carcasses and preparations from whole birds.
This highlights the importance of making choices regarding the quality meat being cut and ensuring that care is taken to reduce damage to the meat.
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 preparing a range of different poultry-based products.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- prepare to cut poultry 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 poultry carcass is ready for cutting
- source product specification for joints and products to be produced
- agree plans for production with relevant personnel
- follow organisational specification for the range of cuts required
- check poultry adheres to visual quality specification
- take effective action if the poultry does not meet quality specification
- cut poultry in accordance with product requirements
- trim and/or tie products according to specification
- maintain quality of 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 in accordance with organisational requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to access organisational requirements and procedures
- the organisational and regulatory procedures that must be adhered to when cutting meat and poultry
- the personal protective equipment required when cutting meat and poultry
- how to recognise the key cuts made from poultry
- what the commonly used terms are for describing cuts of meat and poultry
- what the quality control points are in regards to the common cuts produced
- the tools and equipment needed to cut primary cuts and whole birds into smaller retail cuts, including the range of saws, knives and cleavers that may be used
- what the primary food safety risks are when working with raw meat
- how food safety can be maintained when working with raw meat
- why it is important to have clean personal protective equipment, work area, tools and equipment when cutting
- how to access the organisational specifications for the retail cuts required
- the appropriate packing, wrapping and storage for the cuts produced, why it is important to adhere to the specific meat and poultry product specification
- the importance of keeping waste to a minimum when producing meat cuts, 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 different types of waste occurring as a result of producing meat cuts
- 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