Quality Grades for Eggs Sold

(1) Requirements (a) All eggs for sale at retail in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be grade AA, A, B, or not graded and shall be in containers so marked or branded, with letters not less than three-eighths of an inch in height. (b) Any edible egg not conforming to Grades AA, A or B may only be: 1. Sold as a Check or Stain for further processing; or 2. Sold at the site-of-production directly from the producer to the household consumer. (c) No Person shall advertise any eggs for sale at retail at a stated price unless the advertisement includes the grade of the eggs. (d) No Person shall offer or display eggs for sale in bulk unless a sign is exhibited among or closely adjacent to the eggs stating the grade of the eggs. (e) No Person shall sell any eggs to a retailer unless upon delivery, an invoice identifying the seller, buyer, grade and size of the eggs is provided to the retailer. (f) No Person shall sell any Check, Stain, inedible egg, Loss or Leaker as "not graded." (2) Grades of Eggs (a) The Department establishes the following grades for eggs sold at retail: 1. AA Quality. To meet the standard of AA quality, an egg shall have the following characteristics as determined by candling: a. Shell. The shell must be clean, unbroken, and practically normal; b. Air Cell. The air cell must not exceed c inch in depth, may show unlimited movement, and may be free or bubbly; c. White. The white must be clear and firm so that the yolk is only slightly defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light; and d. Yolk. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects. A Quality. To meet the standard of A quality, an egg shall have the following characteristics as determined by candling: a. Shell. The shell must be clean, unbroken and practically normal; b. Air Cell. The air cell must not exceed /16 inch in depth, may show unlimited movement, and may be free or bubbly; c. White. The white must be clear and at least reasonably firm so that the yolk outline is only fairly well defined when the egg is twirled before the candling light; d. Yolk. The yolk must be practically free from apparent defects. B Quality. To meet the standard of B quality, an egg shall have the following characteristics as determined by candling: a. Shell. The shell must be unbroken, may be abnormal, and may have slightly stained areas. Moderately stained areas are permitted if they do not cover more than 1/32 of the shell surface if localized, or 1/16 of the shell surface if scattered. Eggs having shells with prominent stains or adhering dirt are not permitted; b. Air Cell. The air cell may be over 3/16 inch in depth, may show unlimited movement, and may be free or bubbly; c. White. The white may be weak and watery so that the yolk outline is plainly visible when the eggs is twirled before the candling light; and d. Yolk. The yolk may appear dark, enlarged, and flattened, and may show clearly visible germ development but no blood due to such development. 4. Not Graded. Not graded means any egg which has not been candled to determine if it meets the standard for grade AA, A or B and which is not inedible, a Loss or a Leaker. (b) For the purposes of 330 CMR 5.03, the descriptive terms used shall have the following meanings: 1. Terms Descriptive of the Shell. a. Clean. A shell that is free from foreign material and from stains or discolorations that are readily visible. An egg may be considered clean if it has only very small specks, stains, or cage marks, if such specks, stains, or cage marks are not of sufficient number or intensity to detract from the generally clean appearance of the egg. Eggs that show traces of processing oil on the shell are considered clean unless otherwise soiled. b. Dirty. A shell that is unbroken and that has dirt or foreign material adhering to its surface, which has prominent stains, or moderate stains covering more than /32 or the shell surface if localized, or /16 of the shell surface if scattered. c. Practically Normal. A shell that approximates the usual shape and that is sound and is free from thin spots. Ridges and rough areas that do not materially affect the shape and strength of the shell are permitted. d. Abnormal. A shell that may be somewhat unusual or decidedly misshapen or faulty in soundness or strength or that may show pronounced ridges or thin spots. 2. Terms Descriptive of the Air Cell. a. Depth of Air Space. The depth of the air cell is the distance from its top to its bottom when the egg is held air cell upward. b. Free Air Cell. An air cell that moves freely toward the uppermost point in the egg as the egg is rotated slowly. c. Bubbly Air Cell. A ruptured air cell resulting in one or more small separate air bubbles usually floating beneath the main air cell. 3. Terms Descriptive of the White. a. Clear. A white that is free from discolorations or from any foreign bodies floating in it. Prominent chalazas should not be confused with foreign bodies such as spots or blood clots. b. Firm. A white that is sufficiently thick or viscous to prevent the yolk outline from being more than slightly defined or indistinctly indicated when the egg is twirled. c. Reasonably Firm. A white that is somewhat less thick or viscous than a firm white. A reasonably firm white permits the yolk to approach the shell more closely which results in a fairly well defined yolk outline when the egg is twirled. d. Weak and Watery. A white that is weak, thin, and generally lacking in viscosity. A weak and watery white permits the yolk to approach the shell closely, thus causing the yolk outline to appear plainly visible and dark when the egg is twirled. e. Blood Spots or Meat Spots. Small blood spots or meat spots (aggregating not more than c inch in diameter) may be classified as B quality. If larger, or showing diffusion of blood into the white surrounding a blood spot, the egg shall be classified as a Loss. Blood spots shall not be due to germ development. They may be on the yolk or in the white. Meat spots may be blood spots which have lost their characteristic red color or tissue from the reproductive organs. f. Bloody White. An egg which has blood-diffused through the white. Eggs with bloody whites are classed as Loss. Eggs with blood spots which show a slight diffusion into the white around the localized spot are not to be classed as bloody whites. 4. Descriptive Terms of the Yolk. a. Outlined Slightly Defined. A yolk outline that is indistinctly indicated and appears to blend into the surrounding white as the egg is twirled. b. Outline Fairly Well Defined. A yolk outline that is discernible but not clearly outlined as the egg is twirled. c. Outline Plainly Visible. A yolk outline that is clearly visible as a dark shadow when the egg is twirled. d. Enlarged and Flattened. A yolk in which the yolk membranes and tissues have weakened and/or moisture has been absorbed from the white to such an extent that the yolk appears definitely enlarged and flat. e. Practically Free from Defects. A yolk that shows no germ development but may show other very slight defects on its surface. f. Serious Defects. A yolk that shows well developed spots or areas and other serious defects, such as olive yolks, which do not render the egg inedible. g. Clearly Visible Germ Development. A development of the germ spot on the yolk of a fertile egg that has progressed to a point where it is plainly visible as a definite circular area or spot with no blood in evidence. h. Blood Due to Germ Development. Blood caused by development of the germ in a fertile egg to the point where it is visible as definite lines or as a blood ring. Such an egg is classified as inedible. (c) The Following Tolerances are Established for Grades AA, A and B. Not more than two eggs per dozen may be below the requirements for the designated grade, providing such eggs meet the requirements for the next lower grade and do not exceed a total of 10% per 100 sampled.