Page 1 of 6
Title / Optimise meat yield when breaking and boning pork carcasses to produce cuts to specification
Level / 4 / Credits / 20
Purpose / This unit standard is for experienced pork carcass boners employed in export meat processing plants who are required to make all breaking and boning cuts to pork carcasses to specifications while optimising company and customer yield requirements.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: prepare to break and bone pork carcasses to specifications; demonstrate knowledge of the quality and yield requirements for breaking and boning pork carcasses; optimise yield when breaking and boning pork carcasses to specifications; demonstrate knife use; demonstrate team-work; and comply with organisational and statutory hygiene and safety requirements.
Classification / Meat Processing > Meat Industry - Further Processing
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to – Animal Products Act 1999, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
2Resource documents include but are not limited to – Industry Standard 6/Industry agreed standard 6 - Processing of Edible Product,available from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) at
3This unit standard must be assessed against in an export meat processing plant during normal chain and/or line operating speed during boning operations. The yield must meet the requirements of the range of products being produced by the company and the customer specifications demanded for specialised export meat cuts.
4Control of visible defects must be shown. Visible defects include but are not limited to – any pathology, parasitic lesions in excess of those permitted in the post-mortem criteria, bruises, blood clots, clusters of hair or wool, hide, rail dust, dirt, stains, grease, extraneous material.
5Definitions
Company specifications – product specifications set by the company relating to cuts, weights, presentation and packaging.
Customer specifications – product specifications set by clients relating to cuts, weights, presentation and packaging.
Operator – the candidate being assessed against this unit standard.
Organisational requirements – instructions to staff on policies and procedures which are documented in memo and/or manual format and are available in the workplace.
Quality requirements – customer requirements regarding shape, trimming, colour, and weight.
Yield requirements – maximum allowable fat cover, shape, cutting/boning lines, extraneous material removal.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Prepare to break and bone pork carcasses to specifications.
Evidence requirements
1.1Work area is checked to ensure that it has been cleaned and sanitised in accordance with organisational and statutory requirements.
1.2Machinery, tools and knives are prepared in accordance with organisational requirements and the types of carcass cuts to be completed.
1.3Work area is set upin accordance with company specifications and organisational requirements.
1.4Yield requirements are identified in accordance with company and customer specifications.
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of the quality and yield requirements for breaking and boning pork carcasses.
Evidence requirements
2.1Classifications are explained in relation to the selection of carcasses for breaking and boning.
2.2Contamination and meat defects are identified, and their causes and the actions to be taken to eliminate them are described in accordance with organisational requirements.
2.3Quality requirements are explained in terms of product damage.
Rangequality requirements include but are not limited to – trimming cuts, product shape and colour, gland and extraneous material removal.
2.4Yield recovery requirements are explained for each type of cut.
Rangerequirements include but are not limited to – cutting/boning lines, trimming requirements, company specifications, customer specifications.
2.5Yields are explained in terms of methods used to maximise recoverable meat product.
2.6Yield loss is calculated and explained in terms of cost to the business.
Rangecost to the business includes but is not limited to – requirements for rework and down grading product, customer dissatisfaction, inability to meet product specifications;
calculation of yield loss includes – grams per cut, yield loss in grams per cut, total yield loss per carcass, total yield loss per day’s production, total yield loss per week.
Outcome 3
Optimise yield when breaking and boning pork carcasses to specifications.
Evidence requirements
3.1Carcasses are securely fastened during breaking and boning operations in accordance with organisational requirements.
3.2Meat is boned to maximise yield and minimise damage in accordance with organisational requirements.
3.3Meat is cut in accordance with company and customer specifications and within the yield tolerance allowable.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – specific cut, weight, quality.
3.4Breaking and boning cuts are made in accordance with bone structure, muscle contours and company specifications.
3.5Operator technique optimises yield and minimises physical stress on upper body and the unnecessary duplication of cutting effort in accordance with organisational requirements.
3.6Bones are cleaned and trimmed product is placed in designated bins in accordance with company specifications and organisational requirements.
3.7Scratching and score marks to meat are minimised in accordance with company specifications and organisational requirements.
3.8Tasks are completed in accordance with organisational requirements, and within the time specified by production schedules.
3.9Visible defects are removed in accordance with organisational requirements.
Outcome 4
Demonstrate knife use.
Evidence requirements
4.1Knife cuts are clean and straight and made without excessive force or unnecessary duplication.
4.2Operator balance is maintained and body weight used to best effect at all times during knife use.
4.3Operator reach and follow-through maintains balance and reduces risk of injury to operator and others.
4.4Cuts are made away from or to the side of the operator's body and free hand.
4.5Hands, protective gloves and knife handles are kept in clean and slip free condition.
4.6Cuts do not damage or contaminate recoverable products in accordance with organisational requirements.
4.7Knives are maintained in sharp and sterile condition in accordance with organisational requirements.
4.8Knives are replaced in pouch when not in use in accordance with organisational requirements.
4.9Steels are used to meet organisational requirements in accordance with organisational requirements.
4.10Actions likely to place the operator and others at risk of injury during knife use and sharpening are avoided.
Outcome 5
Demonstrate team-work.
Evidence requirements
5.1Tasks are completed safely within the time and space allocation determined by product flow and organisational requirements.
5.2The quality and completeness of tasks meet the operational requirements of following co-workers.
5.3Communication and feedback are provided to and requested from co-workers to maintain and improve task and product quality.
5.4Co-worker assistance is provided within the confines of product flow and operator space.
5.5Machinery, equipment and facility malfunctions are identified and corrective actions taken in accordance with organisational requirements.
5.6Conflict resolution techniques are applied to minimise interpersonal differences with co-workers which may adversely affect team performance.
Outcome 6
Comply with organisational and statutory hygiene and safety requirements.
Evidence requirements
6.1Work methods comply with specified organisational and statutory requirements to minimise the risk of product contamination and injuries to the operator and others.
6.2Contaminated meat products, surfaces, machinery, equipment and packaging materials are handled in accordance with organisational and statutory requirements.
6.3Unsafe and unhygienic conditions are identified and corrective actions taken in accordance with organisational requirements.
Replacement information / This unit standard, unit standard 24591, unit standard24592, unit standard 24593, unit standard24594, unit standard24596, unit standard24598, and unit standard24599 have been replaced by unit standard 28231.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 19 May 2008 / 31 December 2012
Review / 2 / 21 July 2011 / 31 December 2016
Review / 3 / 27 January 2015 / 31 December 2016
Rollover / 4 / 17 September 2015 / 31 December 2018
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0033
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Primary Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut