Profession blending plant operator

Blending plant operators control equipment to weigh and mix vegetable oils used in products such as salad oil and margarines. They tend pump oils to perform the blending according to specific formulas. They draw off samples of mixed oil to examine its texture and colour and based on that make adjustments to blending processes.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Mechanical tools

  Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

• Origin of dietary fats and oils

  The distinction between dietary fats that come fromanimals and oils derived from vegetables.

Skills

• Apply HACCP

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

• 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 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.

• Support management of raw materials

  Support management of raw materials and plants required by the department for production. Oversee the needs for material and notify when stock levels reach re-order levels.

• Maintain tanks

  Clean and keep in adequate condition tanks, basins, and filter beds using hand tools and power tools.

• Develop work programmes

  Develop annual work programs for resource usage which will benefit the environment and forest production.

• Tend mixing oil machine

  Use machines to weigh and mix vegetable oils for products, such as salad oils, shortening and margarine, according to formula.

• Winterise fats

  Perform winterising on fats which consists in removing fatty stearin.

• Check sensorial parameters of oils and fats

  Check sensorial parameters of olive oils, seed oils and edible fats such as taste, smell and touch.

• Use tools for construction and repair

  Construct and repair ships and equipment using hand tools, machine tools, and measuring instruments. Safely carry out emergency or temporary repairs. Take measures to ensure a safe working environment. Use various types of sealants and packaging.

• Refine edible oils

  Refine edible oils to make them suitable for human consumption. Remove impurities and toxic substances performing processes such as bleaching, deodorisation and cooling.

• Perform preliminary operations for oil extraction

  Perform preliminary operations to raw materials such as cracking, shelling and dehulling before the oil extraction.

• Monitor oil blending process

  Monitor the blending process of oil. Make adjustments to blending process according to results of tests.

• Tend equipment for oil extraction

  Tend equipment that strains stearin from vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oil to produce salad oil. Chill the oil in a chilling tank for the specified time to solidify stearin. Use air pressure to force oil through filters and trap suspended stearin.

• Assess quality characteristics of food products

  Assess quality characteristics of food products in terms of the main properties (e.g. physical, sensorial, chemical, technological, etc.) for raw materials, half-finished products, as well as finish products.

• Collect samples for analysis

  Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.

• 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.

• 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.

• Apply GMP

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

• 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.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB