Meat preparations operator

Description

Meat preparations operators prepare fresh meat with ingredients such as spices, herbs or additives in order to make ready-for-sale meat preparations.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to meat preparations operator:

meatworker
abbatoir worker
meat worker
meat processing worker
meat processing operators

Minimum qualifications

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a meat preparations operator.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Meat preparations operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Meat preparations operator career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to meat preparations operator.

meat cutter
prepared meat operator
fish trimmer
butcher
fish canning operator

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of meat preparations operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of meat preparations operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

green coffee coordinator
animal feed supervisor
food safety inspector
green coffee buyer
water treatment systems operator

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of meat preparations operator.

  • Typology of meat parts: Typology of meat parts in terms of nutrients, handling processes, way of cutting and managing, and preparations and ingredients that potentiate the taste.
  • Food storage: The proper conditions and methods to store food to keep it from spoiling, taking into account humidity, light, temperature and other environmental factors.
  • Animal anatomy for food production: The anatomy of animals, their organs and their functions, as well as the usage of these organs for food production after slaughtering.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of meat preparations operator.

  • Maintain cutting equipment: Maintenance of the cutting equipment (knives, cutters, and other elements).
  • Tolerate strong smells: Tolerate strong smells expelled by the goods being processed during the production of goods.
  • Ensure sanitation: Keep workspaces and equipment free from dirt, infection, and disease by removing waste, trash and providing for appropriate cleaning.
  • Inspect raw materials for muscle food processing: Inspect raw materials required for the production process, assessing quality and hidden flaws. Verify the origin of the raw materials using the sector defined documents, stamps or marks.
  • Ensure refrigeration of food in the supply chain: Apply different procedures to maintain the chain of temperature of foodstuffs and products in each stage of the production and supply chain.
  • Tend meat packaging machine: Use machinery to package meat products under modified atmosphere, extending its shelf life.
  • Mark differences in colours: Identify differences between colours, such as shades of colour.
  • Manage packaging material: Managing all packaging materials be they primary (wrapping, cans, bottles) or secondary (cartons, crates, pallets).
  • Weigh parts of animal carcasses: After cutting and deboning, weigh the prepared parts of meat for the next process in the manufacturing of meat products or for direct selling. Tag containers for weight and contents.
  • Clean food and beverage machinery: Clean machinery used for food or beverage production processes. Prepare the appropriate solutions for cleaning. Prepare all parts and assure that they are clean enough to avoid deviation or errors in the production process.
  • Apply HACCP: Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
  • Administer ingredients in food production: ngredients to be added and the required amounts according to the recipe and the way those ingredients are to be administered.
  • Be at ease in unsafe environments: Be at ease in unsafe environments like being exposed to dust, rotating equipment, hot surfaces, sub-freezing and cold storage areas, noise, wet floors and moving lift equipment.
  • Execute chilling processes to food products: Carry out chilling, freezing and cooling operation processes to food products such as fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, catering food. Prepare food products for extended periods of storage or half prepared food. Ensure safety and nutrition qualities of frozen goods and preserve products in accordance with specified temperatures.
  • Trace meat products: Take the regulations regarding the traceability of final products within the sector into account.
  • Process livestock organs: Process livestock organs and other byproducts for meat manufacturing processes. Remove organs from carcasses and perform activities such as cutting or dividing parts, washing organs, execute specific treatments, packaging, and labelling.
  • Maintain food specifications: Preserve, review, and evaluate existing food specifications such as recipes.
  • Cope with blood: Cope with blood, organs, and other internal parts without feeling distressed.
  • Follow hygienic procedures during food processing: Ensure a clean working space according to hygienic standards in the food processing industry.
  • Adhere to organisational guidelines: Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
  • Lift heavy weights: Lift heavy weights and apply ergonomic lifting techniques to avoid damaging the body.
  • Tend meat processing production machines: Operate production equipment and tools to process meat and meat products.
  • Prepare meat for sale: Prepare meat for sale or cooking which comprise the seasoning, larding, or marinating of the meat, but not the actual cooking.
  • Select adequate ingredients: Select adequate ingredients based in their technological function to execute ideas. Strive for consistent good quality of the ingredients and use them adequately to obtain a satisfactory final product.
  • Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages: Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.
  • Apply GMP: Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
  • Prepare specialised meat products: Prepare specialised meat products, minced meat, salt-cured meat, smoked meat, and other meat preparations such as pickled meat, sausages, crumbed meat, veal olive, and chipolata.
  • Operate weighing machine: Work with a weighing machine to measure raw, half-finished and finished products.
  • Operate meat processing equipment: Operate meat processing equipment for meat preparations and prepared meat products.
  • Handle knives for meat processing activities: Handle knives for meat processing activities. Use the correct knives and cutting instruments for meat preparations, prepared meat products, or meat products made by a butcher.
  • Grind meat: Use various types of machinery to grind animal parts into minced meat. Avoid the inclusion of bone splinters in the product. Maintain the meat grinding machine.
  • Handle meat processing equipment in cooling rooms: Push and put carcasses in and out the cooling room as specified. Use equipment specific to this room to handle meat and meat products.
  • Monitor freezing processes: Monitoring freezing processes to ensure product is adequately frozen. Assessing temperature levels and ensuring energy efficiency and product refrigeration.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of meat preparations operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of meat preparations operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Provide first aid: Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.
  • Manage challenging work conditions during food processing operations: Handle stressful and challenging work conditions in a limited time frame to ensure qualitative food and beverage products are created in time.
  • Act reliably: Proceed in a way that one can be relied on or depended on.
  • Keep machines oiled for steady functioning: Oil or grease the parts of the machines and equipment that need to be lubricated. Follow safety procedures to do so.
  • Liaise with colleagues: Liaise with fellow colleagues to ensure common understanding on work related affairs and agree on the necessary compromises the parties might need to face. Negotiate compromises between parties as to ensure that work in general run efficiently towards the achievement of the objectives.
  • Administer lactic ferment cultures to manufacturing products: Add specified quantity of lactic ferment cultures to food preparations such as pasteurised milk to obtain starter for sour dairy products, such as buttermilk, cheese, and sour cream. Also, to dough making in bakery.
  • Adapt efficient food processing practices: Ensure to adapt the most efficient production techniques to accomplish food processing tasks with the least amount of time, effort and costs.
  • Monitor temperature in manufacturing process of food and beverages: Monitor and control required temperatures in the different phases of production until the product reaches suitable properties according to specifications.
  • Have computer literacy: Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
  • Consider economic criteria in decision making: Develop proposals and take appropriate decisions taking into account economic criteria.
  • Work in cold environments: Work in cold storage and deep freeze facilities. Cooling rooms are around 0°C. Resist temperatures of -18°C in meat processing freezer facilities as required by law, except for the slaughterhouse, where room working temperatures are below 12°C by law.
  • Dispose food waste: Dispose or collect food waste with the purpose of recycling or throwing away from the production process. Follow established procedures for their disposal taking care of the environment and the safety matters according to legislations.
  • Work in a food processing team: Collaborate in a team with other food processing professionals in service of the food and beverages industry.
  • Operate metal contaminants detector: Control and monitor a detector that screens meat products for common metal contaminants such as screw, staples, or lead shot. Take appropriate actions in case of non conformities.
  • Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
  • Ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production: Make sure to comply with environmental legislation in food production. Understand the legislation related to environmental matters in food manufacturing and apply it in practice.
  • Label samples: Label raw material/ product samples for laboratory checks, according to implemented quality system.

ISCO group and title

7511 – Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers


References
  1. Meat preparations operator – ESCO
Last updated on October 18, 2022

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