Page 1 of 3
Title / Apply hygiene and food safety requirements to own work area in a primary products food processing operation
Level / 3 / Credits / 5
Purpose / This entry-level unit standard is for people working in a production line situation in a primary products food processing operation.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:identify sources of, actions for prevention and consequences of, product contamination; describe workplace hygiene requirements for the prevention of food borne disease; and comply with hygiene requirements, in a primary products food processing operation.
Classification / Primary Products Food Processing > Primary Products Food Processing -Core Skills
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legislation relevant to this unit standard may include but is not limited to – Animal Products Act 1999, Food Act 1981, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, depending on the candidate’s work sector.
2Definitions
Contamination – physical, chemical, microbial contamination.
Notifiable disease – any infectious disease in a communicable form and includes but is not limited to any communicable disease defined in the Health Act 1956.
Organisational requirements – instructions to staff on policies and procedures which are documented in memo, electronic or manual format and are available in the workplace.
Primary products food processing operation – covers a meat processing, dairy processing, seafood or baking yeasts manufacturing operation.
3Responsibility for applying hygiene and food safety relates to the candidate’s immediate work responsibilities.
4Evidence for the practical components of this unit standard must be supplied from the workplace.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Identify sources of, actions for prevention and consequences of, product contamination in a primary products food processing operation.
Evidence requirements
1.1Potential sources of product contamination are identified and described in relation to own work area.
Rangesources may include but are not limited to – people, environment, materials, ancillary services, product contact surfaces, processing,
evidence is required of five sources of contamination.
1.2Consequences of product contamination are identified and described in terms of potential effects on humans and the market.
1.3Required actions in relation to notifiable diseases are identified and described in terms of organisational requirements.
1.4Food safety is described in terms of control of conditions required for growth of food borne disease organisms.
Rangeconditions include but are not limited to – moisture, nutrients, temperature, time, pH.
Outcome 2
Describe workplace hygiene requirements for the prevention of food borne diseases in a primary products food processing operation.
Evidence requirements
2.1Hygiene requirements for the prevention of food borne diseasesare described in terms of organisational requirements.
Rangerequirements may include but are not limited to – factory hygiene zoning, entry procedures, personal hygiene, clothing and footwear, locker compliance procedure, pest control, cleaning, rubbish disposal, prevention of operator infection, environmental monitoring, maintenance;
evidence is required of five requirements.
2.2The requirements for handling contaminated products are identified and described in terms of organisational requirements.
2.3Procedures for identifying and reporting unhygienic conditions in the workplace are described in terms of organisational requirements.
Outcome 3
Comply with hygiene requirements in a primary products food processing operation.
Evidence requirements
3.1Protective clothing is stored, worn,and cleaned or disposed of in accordance with organisational requirements.
3.2Procedures for entering the processing area are followed in accordance with organisational requirements.
Rangeprocedures may include but are not limited to –boot washing or exchange, hair, jewellery, watches, finger nails, sores and wounds, donning of protective food safety clothing;
evidence is required of three procedures.
3.3Hands are washed and/or sanitised in accordance with organisational requirements.
3.4Hygienic work practices and cleaning procedures are followed in accordance with organisational requirements.
Replacement information / This unit standard replaced unit standard 4817, unit standard 19523 and unit standard 19966.Planned review date / 31 December 2020
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 18 June 2015 / N/A
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 (CMRs). 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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Primary Industry Training OrganisationCode101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018