Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency involves opening and/or removing the meat (shuck) from molluscs, such as oysters, scallops and abalone. Opened molluscs (half shells) or meat only are then prepared/trimmed and packaged according to specifications.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

Application of the unit 

This unit has application for workers in fish processing facilities.

It extends to shucking molluscs and then packaging half shells and/or meat to customer and enterprise specifications.

Handling and processing of cephalopods is covered in SFIPROC202C Process squid, cuttlefish and octopus. Procedures for freezing, bottling or canning are covered in other processing units.

All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements , including occupational health and safety  (OHS ) guidelines , food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures  and ecologically sustainable development  (ESD ) principles .

Equipment operation, maintenance, repairs and calibrations are undertaken in a safe manner that conforms to manufacturer's instructions. Appropriate personal protective equipment  (PPE ) is selected, checked, used and maintained.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Prepare work area

1.1. Work instructions are confirmed with supervisor

1.2. Workbench and area for product handling and all equipment  for grading, opening/shucking, rinsing, storing and chilling product  are clean and in full working order.

1.3. Sufficient potable ice, clean baskets and cold potable water are available.

2. Wash mollusc

2.1. Molluscs are cleaned in potable water, if necessary, to remove all loose shell, grit and mud.

2.2. Molluscs awaiting shucking are stored correctly to maintain cool temperature and avoid contamination.

2.3. Dead molluscs are discarded.

3. Open or remove shells

3.1. The adductor muscle (bivalves) or foot (abalone) is cut with a knife.

3.2. Meat is freed from one shell to produce a half shell (bivalves) or shells totally removed to leave meat only (bivalves and abalone) according to productivity and yield specifications .

3.3. Half shells or meat are quickly rinsed under potable water to remove any grit or debris and meat is trimmed, as required.

3.4. Product is visually inspected for any signs of spoilage, defects or parasites, and undersize or defective product is identified and set aside for other uses, if appropriate.

3.5. Product is size/weight graded.

4. Pack half shells or meats

4.1. Graded half shells or meat are placed into transport containers by weight or number.

4.2. Layers of half shells are separated within the container with plastic sheeting to ensure that no grit is transferred from the shell to the meat.

4.3. Identification and traceability of product is maintained.

4.4. Transport containers of packed half shells or meat are labelled with the date of production and other required information.

4.5. Transport containers of packed half shells or meat are quickly transferred to the chillers to reduce their temperature.

4.6. Identification and traceability of product is maintained according to enterprise food safety program.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• accurately using visual size grading
• cleaning and maintaining a hygienic workplace and work area
• communicating orally to give and receive information
• identifying signs of spoilage and common defects, diseases and parasites in molluscs
• identifying species and location of key organs inside the body (e.g. gills, guts, gonad and adductor muscle)
• sharpening knives
• manual dexterity for opening/shucking/trimming live molluscs with minimal damage.

Literacy skills used for :

• interpreting enterprise procedures
• interpreting productivity and yield specifications.

Numeracy skills used for :

• counting
• interpreting and apply size grading
• interpreting weighing scales.

Required knowledge 

• food safety program requirements for shucking molluscs
• hygienic handling and storage of live seafood intended to be eaten raw or cooked
• personal, workplace and product hygiene principles
• quality, productivity and yield specifications
• spoilage pattern and common defects, diseases and parasites for molluscs.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit 

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

• follow the enterprise food safety program
• identify species and key organs inside animal (e.g. gills, guts, gonad and adductor muscle)
• produce hygienically prepared and packed molluscan meat or meat on half shells that meets customer specifications and food regulations, and are within enterprise yield and productivity requirements
• work safely following enterprise OHS procedures.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

• spoilage pattern of shelled molluscs
• defects, diseases and parasites in shelled molluscs
• enterprise safe work practices, quality and food safety requirements relevant to shucking molluscs.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment is to be conducted at the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Resources may include:

• clean packing cases
• knives, baskets, waste tubs and running potable water
• opening bench
• product (bivalves or abalone)
• washing tubs.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• demonstration
• oral questions.

Guidance information for assessment 

This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements  may include:

• business or workplace operations, policies and practices
• correct marketing names and labelling
• environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• food safety/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export Control (Fish) orders
• OH) hazard identification, risk assessment and control.

OHS guidelines  may include:

• appropriate workplace provision of first aid kits and fire extinguishers
• clean, uncluttered, hygienic workplace
• codes of practice, regulations and/or guidance notes which may apply in a jurisdiction or industry sector
• enterprise-specific OHS procedures, policies or standards
• hazard and risk assessment of workplace, maintenance activities and control measures
• induction or training of staff, contractors and visitors in relevant OHS procedures and/or requirements to allow them to carry out their duties in a safe manner
• OHS training register
• safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, including manual handling, and the handling and storage of hazardous substances
• safe systems and procedures for the protection of people in the workplace
• the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of PPE.

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures  may include:

• AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders
• Australian Shellfish Sanitation program
• chain of custody (temperature and contamination control)
• equipment design, use and maintenance
• HACCP
• hygiene and sanitation requirements
• location, construction and servicing of seafood premises
• Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)
• requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code.

ESD principles  may include:

• controlling effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution
• improving energy efficiency
• increasing use of renewable, recyclable and recoverable resources
• minimising noise or odour emissions
• reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
• reducing energy use
• reducing use of non-renewable resources
• undertaking environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• using and recycling of water, and maintaining water quality.

PPE  may include:

• gloves, mitts or gauntlets, and protective hand and arm covering
• insulated protective clothing for freezers or chillers and refrigeration units
• non-slip and waterproof boots (gumboots) or other safety footwear
• protective hair, beard and boot covers
• uniforms, overalls or protective clothing (e.g. mesh and waterproof aprons).

Equipment  may include:

• freezer trays
• ice slurries
• interleaving plastic material
• labels
• opening bench or board
• packing cases
• potable running water
• scales
• shucking knife
• storage bottles and cans
• tumbling machine/box.

Product  may include:

• form:

• bottled
• canned
• fresh
• frozen
• half shell or meat only (shell-less)

• species:

• bivalves:

• clams or cockles
• mussels
• oysters
• scallops

• gastropods:

• abalone.

Productivity and yield specifications  may include:

• bivalve half shell yields
• case size, such as 10 dozen
• colour
• half shell size grades
• meat yields:

• condition
• fat content
• fullness
• size
• weight

• opening or shucking rates
• trimmings:

• removal of byssal threads or beard from mussels, clams and pearl oysters
• removal of gills (frill) and organs on scallops (edible portion is adductor mussel and sometimes gonad)
• removal of mouth parts, organs, gills, sensory appendages (frill) on abalone (edible portion is foot).

Unit sector 

Seafood processing

Co-requisite units 

Competency field