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Title / Demonstrate knowledge of specifications for beef forequarter products
Level / 3 / Credits / 4
Purpose / This unit standard is for people in the supervisory or quality assurance role who are required to ensure that beef forequarter meat products comply with the written specification for AUS-MEAT National Accreditation Standards.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify and describe beef forequarter products; describe the cutting lines for beef forequarter products; identify the muscle content of beef forequarter products; and describe the relationship between points of specification and product name, and identify and measure the points of specification for forequarter products.
Classification / Meat Processing > Meat Industry Generic
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to – Animal Products Act 1999.
2Resource documents include but are not limited to – AUS-MEAT National Accreditation Standards, available at
3Definitions
Industry requirements include but are not limited to – site specific requirements, company quality management requirements, hygiene, health and safety, regulatory and legislative requirements.
Written specifications – product specifications set by the customer and customer country requirements and AUS-MEAT National Accreditation Standards relating to cuts, weights, presentation, and packaging.
Industry specifications – product specifications and AUS-MEAT National Accreditation Standards relating to cuts, tolerances, product names, and yield determination.
4Range
Beef forequarter products include but are not limited to – forequarter, chuck and blade, chuck, chuck square cut, chuck roll, blade, shin/shank, shin special trim, rib set, cube roll, brisket, point end brisket, point end brisket deckle off, deckle, naval end brisket.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Identify and describe beef forequarter products.
Evidence requirements
1.1Industry terminology is used to name beef forequarter products identified by visual assessment.
1.2The importance of using industry terminology to identify beef forequarter products is described in terms of interpreting and communicating written and industry specifications, and assessing product compliance.
1.3The process for approving new beef forequarter products is described in terms of industry requirements.
1.4Beef forequarter products are identified and sorted in accordance with written and industry specifications.
Rangeidentification includes but is not limited to – AUS-MEAT cuts register, standapak numbers.
Outcome 2
Describe the cutting lines for beef forequarter products.
Evidence requirements
2.1The cutting lines are described in terms of correct anatomical terms.
2.2The importance of correctly applied cutting lines is described in terms of beef forequarter product description and yield, and identifying non-conforming beef forequarter product.
2.3The cutting lines of one beef forequarter product are described in terms of their impact on the cutting lines of another beef forequarter product.
2.4Beef forequarter product usage is described in terms of its relationship to cutting lines.
2.5The muscle content of different beef forequarter products is described in terms of its relationship to cutting lines.
2.6The yield and value of the beef forequarter product is determined in terms of the impact of varying the quartering site.
Outcome 3
Identify the muscle content of beef forequarter product.
Evidence requirements
3.1The major muscles of each beef forequarter product are identified in terms of industry specifications.
3.2The presence or absence of foreign muscles is identified in terms of their features for each beef forequarter product.
3.3The relationship between muscle content, eating quality and product yield is described in terms of each product.
3.4The muscle content of the forequarter cuts is determined in terms of the impact of varying quartering sites.
Outcome 4
Describe the relationship between points of specification and product name, and identify and measure the points of specification for forequarter products.
Evidence requirements
4.1The relationship between points of specification and product name are described in terms of industry specifications.
4.2The surface fat depth of the beef forequarter product is measured to industry tolerances.
Rangemeasurement tools include but are not limited to – metal ruler, Tolan probe.
4.3The length of muscles and tendons are measured to industry specifications.
4.4The relationship between accurate measurement and assessment of compliance is described in terms of industry specifications.
4.5The relationship between accurate measurement of points of specification and importance to maximise yield is described in terms of industry specifications.
4.6The presence of foreign muscles in relationship to points of specification is identified in terms of industry specifications.
Replacement information / This unit standard, unit standard19175, unit standard 19177, unit standard 22320, unit standard 22321, and unit standard 22323 have been replaced by unit standard 28232 and unit standard 28253.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 / 24 January 2002 / 31 December 2012
Review / 2 / 20 June 2006 / 31 December 2012
Review / 3 / 21 July 2011 / 31 December 2016
Review / 4 / 27 January 2015 / 31 December 2016
Rollover / 5 / 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