Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the production and harvesting of royal jelly and defines the standard required to: graft larvae and stimulate royal jelly production; hygienically collect and store royal jelly; keep records of royal jelly production for food safety and QA requirements.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to beekeepers that induce the production of royal jelly by honey bees and collect and store the finished product in line with food safety and quality assurance requirements.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Prepare to produce and harvest royal jelly

1.1. Hive is assessed for suitability for production of royal jelly.

1.2. Production of royal jelly is stimulated.

1.3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is selected and used.

1.4. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) hazards associated with working with bees are identified and appropriate action is taken to minimise risks to self and others.

1.5. All equipment used in process of collecting royal jelly is cleaned and sanitised either by heat, alcohol or irradiation according to food safety requirements and enterprise procedures.

2. Collect and store royal jelly

2.1. Personal hygiene requirements are met, including washed hands and clean clothing.

2.2. Wax is cut from selected grafted queen larvae cells just above the royal jelly to aid and speed up collection.

2.3. Larvae are carefully removed from cell with a grafting tool so as not to harm or contaminate jelly, and larvae are discarded.

2.4. Royal jelly is removed from each cell.

2.5. Royal jelly is filtered through fine nylon net to remove traces of wax or larvae.

2.6. Harvested royal jelly is placed into appropriate hygienic containers, avoiding excessive exposure to air, and is refrigerated immediately.

3. Finalise tasks

3.1. Equipment is checked, cleaned and returned to store area.

3.2. Records are made and maintained according to enterprise procedures, and food safety and quality assurance requirements.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• bee handling
• carefully collecting and filtering royal jelly
• record keeping
• removing larvae
• use literacy skills to read, interpret and follow organisational policies and procedures, develop sequenced written instructions, record accurately and legibly information collected and select and apply procedures to a range of tasks
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine and more complex workplace measures and data
• use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• bee handling
• correct cleaning and sanitation methods
• field floral conditions
• food safety requirements
• role of nurse bees in royal jelly production
• quality assurance, including requirements of honey Bee Industry Quality Assurance Program (BQUAL).

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 and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• graft larvae and stimulate royal jelly production
• hygienically collect and store royal jelly
• keep records of royal jelly production for food safety and Quality Assurance (QA) requirements.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Performance relates to and may include:

• all equipment and processes used in commercial production of royal jelly.

Unit sector 

Beekeeping

Co-requisite units 

Competency field