IMPQI101 – Maintain product quality in food and drink operations

Overview 

This standard covers the skills and knowledge for maintaining product quality in food and drink operations.

This standard is relevant to you if your role requires you to check product and materials against the required quality standards; recording results and taking appropriate corrective action if there are problems.

You should be aware of factors that affect product quality including assessment of raw materials, Government guidelines for fat, salt and sugar and any legislative requirements.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. use the correct personal protective equipment
  2. follow the specified methods and procedures for checking product quality
  3. compare the results of quality checks against required specification
  4. record the results of quality checks according to specification
  5. take actions within the limits of your own authority to bring product back into specification or escalate to appropriate level
  6. communicate the results of quality checks and any actions taken to the relevant people in a timely manner
  7. complete records in accordance with organisational requirements
  8. follow the current legal and regulatory requirements for hygiene and environmental standards or instructions.

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

  1. the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, hygiene and environmental standards and instructions
  2. the consequences of not meeting relevant legal and regulatory requirements
  3. how to carry out the specific quality and food safety checks required by your organisation
  4. what to do if quality and food safety checks show that there is a non-conformance with the required standard
  5. the importance of record keeping
  6. the lines and methods of communication within your organisation
  7. the limits of your own authority and why it is important to work within them
  8. what records should be kept and why
  9. the reasons for quality and food safety checks and their importance
  10. the consequences of not maintaining quality
  11. why it is important to check that required standards and specifications are the most current and up to date

Keywords: food; drink; manufacture; quality; product; quality; standards