Profession blanching operator

Blanching operators remove outer coverings or skins from almonds and nuts in general. They cut leaves and impurities of raw material and control the flow of nuts, seeds, and/or leaves in the process. They use pressure and temperature to blanch the raw material if necessary.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Blanching machine process

  Machines which heat food with steam or water in order to kill bacteria, preserve colour and remove trapped air.

• Food safety principles

  Scientific background of food safety which includes preparation, handling, and storage of food to minimise the risk of foodborne illness and other health hazards.

Skills

• Carry out checks of production plant equipment

  Carry out checks of the machinery and equipment used in the production plant. Ensure that the machinery is working properly, set machines before usage, and assure continuous operability of the equipment.

• Exert quality control to processing food

  Ensure the quality of all factors involved in a food production process.

• Follow production schedule

  Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.

• 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.

• Ensure public safety and security

  Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.

• Apply GMP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

• 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.

• Lift heavy weights

  Lift heavy weights and apply ergonomic lifting techniques to avoid damaging the body.

• 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.

• Disassemble equipment

  Disassembles equipment using hand tools in order to clean equipments and to perform regular operational maintenance.

• Mark differences in colours

  Identify differences between colours, such as shades of colour.

• Apply HACCP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

• Set up machine controls

  Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.

• Pump products

  Operate pumping machines according to specific procedures and depending on the kind of product. Ensure correct quantities and adequate feeding for the process.

• Work in conveyor belts in food manufacturing

  Work in rotating conveyor belt systems in food manufacturing.

• Tend blanching machines

  Choose the appropriate settings for steam and boiled water and set the adequate configurations and times for the machine to perform according to production requirements.

• Maintain mechanical equipment

  Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect malfunction. Service, repair, adjust, and test machines, parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical principles. Maintain and repair vehicles meant for cargo, passengers, farming and landscaping.

• 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.

• Monitor almond blanching process

  Monitoring almonds as they emerge from the blanching machine and making adjustments to the machine to make sure that skins are adequately removed.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB