Extract honey

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RTE3321A	Extract honey
Unit Descriptor	This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to extract honey. The work may be performed by a beekeeper or by staff under supervision, and may be carried out in a mobile processing facility or a purpose-built fixed facility.

ELEMENT	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1 . Prepare to extract honey.	All equipment is cleaned, dried, sanitised and checked for serviceability and use. Ripe honey combs are selected for extraction of honey. Suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected and checked prior to use. Occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards are identified and action is taken to minimise risks to self and others.
2 . Extract honey.	Quality assurance and food safety requirements are complied with throughout process of extracting honey. Frames are visually inspected for areas of brood and, if found, frames are uncapped by hand to avoid brood. Where required, combs are warmed to assist extraction process. Cells are uncapped using a hand knife or machine, avoiding damage to cells and frames. Frames are placed in extraction unit and unit is operated according to manufacturer instructions.
3 . Purify honey.	Extracted honey is heated to 30?C and strained or settled to remove wax, air bubbles, pollen and bees. Moisture content of honey is checked and appropriate action is taken as required. Action is taken to reduce risk of fermentation of honey by storing in an airtight container or tank.
4 . Store honey.	Cleaned honey is stored in suitable containers to meet customer requirements. Reference sample of honey is taken, correctly labelled and stored according to enterprise, food safety and quality assurance requirements.

Key Competency	Examples of Application	Performance Level
How can information be collected, analysed and organised?
How are ideas and information communicated within this competency?
How are activities planned and organised?
How are problem solving skills applied?
How are mathematical ideas and techniques used?
How is use of technology applied?
How is team work used within this competency?

Range Statement

Equipment used to extract and process honey may include:

large container
long, thin and sharp hand, electric or steam knife
means to perform centrifugal extraction
metallic screens and nylon mesh
PPE
suitable containers for storage
uncapping machine.

Factors to consider in determining if honey combs are ripe may include:

ripe honey combs may be identified by observing the following criteria:
- greater than 75% of honey cells sealed
- lesser levels of capping as a result of dry conditions
unripe honey combs should be left in hive until satisfactorily ripened or if removed should be kept warm and dehumidified.

PPE may include:

bee veils
bee-proof overalls and gloves
ear protection
steel capped boots/shoes.

OHS hazards may include:

bee stings
incorrect manual handling
sharp hand tools and equipment
slippery and uneven surfaces.

Combs may be warmed using procedures such as:

placing them in a room heated to between 30?C and 40?C.

Straining may be defined in terms of:

alternative to settling
honey passes through mesh and impurities are left behind
must be done at a temperature near 30?C
straining honey through simple metallic screens covered in fine nylon mesh or a nylon sack submerged in a tall narrow tank.

Settling may be defined in terms of:

drawing honey off near the bottom without disturbing top or bottom
leaving honey in a large container so that air bubbles and impurities such as wax and insect pieces float to top or drop to bottom in the case of minerals and metallic particles
best temperature is 25-30?C.

Procedures that apply to monitoring the moisture content of honey include:

hydrometry
refractometry
non-conforming or unacceptable honey dehumidified or put into appropriately marked containers.

Procedures to minimise risk of fermentation may include:

pasteurising honey
storing honey in airtight containers.

Appropriate storage of honey may include:

airtight containers made of stainless steel, glass or food grade plastic that is free of odours
avoidance of containers made from copper, iron, steel and zinc that dissolve into honey, affecting flavour and colour (possibly reaching toxic levels)
correctly labelled containers with legally required information.

Evidence Guide

Overview of assessment

This unit of competency could be assessed on its own or in combination with other units of competency relevant to the job function.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The critical requirements for this unit of competency as a whole are listed below.

Assessment must confirm one's ability to:

operate honey extraction equipment safely to extract honey fit for human consumption
take a reference sample of honey to meet quality assurance and food safety requirements.

Context and specific resources for assessment

Assessment for this unit of competency is to be largely practical in nature and will most appropriately be assessed in a beekeeping workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to extract honey.

The candidate must also have access to the following resources:

all equipment needed to extract and filter honey
PPE
combs of ripe honey.

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The skills and knowledge required to extract honey must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts, including the ability to deal with unplanned events. For example, this could include extracting honey, using different types of extraction equipment and/or methods, or honey from different floral sources that may have different characteristics.