Do the two texts set the same air cell limit?

Broadly, yes: both require an air cell up to 6 mm high that is stationary. The 4 mm limit appears only in the EU text, for eggs marketed as extra, and does not apply to ordinary Class A eggs. This guide reads only the cited passages of both standards.

Is washing banned for Class A eggs in the EU?

In the cited passages, yes. Article 4(1) says Class A eggs may not be washed or cleaned before or after grading, with an exception provided for in another paragraph. In Brazil, art. 228 bans washing dirty cracked eggs for egg products, but the cited text has no general ban.

Can a dirty egg be Category A in Brazil?

No. Category A requires a clean shell (RIISPOA, art. 225, I), and the EU Class A requires the same (Article 3(1)(a)). Adhering dirt takes the egg out of Category A, even when the interior is within the limits.

Comparison · Standards and regulation

Is Brazil's Category A the same as the EU's Class A?

Most of it matches: shell, air cell and germ appear in both texts, and the yolk and white are covered too, with different wording. RIISPOA details stains and chalazae in the white, while the EU rule bans foreign matter and foreign smell. Only the EU text sets a 4 mm limit for extra eggs, a 10-day marking deadline and a general washing ban.

Updated October 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Which Category A and Class A requirements can be compared directly?

The five items of art. 225 of RIISPOA and items (a) to (e) of Article 3(1) cover the same egg. The table lines them up and separates what the text says from this guide's reading.

Category A and Class A requirements, side by side (the last column is this guide's reading, not quoted text)
Requirement	Brazil: RIISPOA, art. 225	EU: Article 3(1)	This guide's reading
Shell and cuticle	Normal shape, smooth, clean and intact (I)	Normal shape, clean and undamaged (a)	RIISPOA also requires a smooth shell
Air cell	Up to 6 mm high and stationary (II)	Up to 6 mm high and stationary; up to 4 mm for extra eggs (b)	The 4 mm limit is EU-only
Yolk	Visible only as a shadow, with an apparent outline, moving slightly and returning to the centre (III)	Visible only as a shadow, without a clearly discernible outline, moving slightly and returning to the centre (c)	The wording on the outline differs; check the official text
White	Clear, translucent, consistent, without stains or cloudiness, chalazae intact (IV)	Clear, translucent (d)	RIISPOA is more detailed
Germ	Imperceptible development (V)	Imperceptible development (e)	Same criterion
Foreign matter and smell	Not listed in art. 225	Foreign matter and unintended foreign smell are not permissible (f) and (g)	Only the EU text lists these in Class A

In practice, air cell, yolk, white and germ are assessed by candling, not by a surface camera.

Is candling required in both texts?

In Brazil, yes. RIISPOA requires egg establishments to carry out candling (art. 223, II) and to have facilities and equipment for it (art. 45).

The EU texts cited here do not address candling, so this guide does not attribute the same requirement to the EU.

Air cell, yolk, white and germ are internal items that a surface camera does not cover. Vigiovo's classes are clean, dirty, cracked and unverified, and they do not assess the interior of the egg. See how it works.

Which EU Class A rules are missing from RIISPOA?

Three rules appear only in the EU text in the passages cited: the ban on washing or cleaning Class A eggs (Article 4(1)), the 10-day marking deadline (Article 3(2)) and the 4 mm limit for extra eggs (Article 3(1)(b)).

Brazil treats washing differently. Art. 228 bans washing dirty cracked eggs destined for egg products, and the text cited has no general ban on washing Category A eggs. See Brazil's washing rules.

The EU text also covers downgrading: a Class A egg that loses the characteristics becomes Class B (Article 3(2)). The cited RIISPOA text has no equivalent rule.

On smell, art. 500, V covers eggs that have been in contact with substances that can transfer foreign odours or flavours, but as a reason an egg is unfit for human consumption, not as a Category A item.

Is a Brazilian Category A egg also Class A in the EU?

Not necessarily. The shell and air cell criteria match, but the yolk and white are worded differently, and washing and the marking deadline are EU rules in the passages cited.

To sell into the EU, check each item of Article 3(1) and the washing and marking rules, and do not assume that Brazilian Category A covers all of them.

The Class B rules also differ. RIISPOA reserves Category B exclusively for industrial processing (art. 226, sole paragraph), and the EU text cited says nothing about destination. For all three standards side by side, see the comparison of Brazil, EU and US rules.

Frequently asked questions

Do the two texts set the same air cell limit?: Broadly, yes: both require an air cell up to 6 mm high that is stationary. The 4 mm limit appears only in the EU text, for eggs marketed as extra, and does not apply to ordinary Class A eggs. This guide reads only the cited passages of both standards.
Is washing banned for Class A eggs in the EU?: In the cited passages, yes. Article 4(1) says Class A eggs may not be washed or cleaned before or after grading, with an exception provided for in another paragraph. In Brazil, art. 228 bans washing dirty cracked eggs for egg products, but the cited text has no general ban.
Can a dirty egg be Category A in Brazil?: No. Category A requires a clean shell (RIISPOA, art. 225, I), and the EU Class A requires the same (Article 3(1)(a)). Adhering dirt takes the egg out of Category A, even when the interior is within the limits.

Sources

Decreto nº 9.013/2017 (RIISPOA), Presidência da República (Brasil)
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, marketing standards for eggs, EUR-Lex

How Vigiovo helps

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