Which rules apply to grading eggs in Brazil?

RIISPOA, Decree 9.013/2017, is the base, with articles on establishments, steps, categories and unfit eggs. MAPA also published questions and answers on Ordinance 612/2022, which this checklist cites when needed.

Does this checklist replace the official text?

No. It summarises the rules it cites and points to the article or question behind each item. Before deciding anything for your line, read the official text of the decree and the ordinance and confirm your reading with the competent inspection authority.

Why doesn't the checklist give weight values?

Because the sources used here do not give weight values for Brazil. RIISPOA only says that grading by weight must follow the RTIQ (RIISPOA, art. 224). For the limits, consult that regulation.

Checklist · Standards and regulation

Which egg grading rules should I check in Brazil?

Use this checklist to check egg grading in Brazil. Each item gives the RIISPOA article (Decree 9.013/2017) or the MAPA answer on Ordinance 612/2022 behind it. The items cover establishments and steps, Class A and Class B, cracked eggs, unfit eggs and electronic candling. Where the rules set no requirement, the item does not invent one.

Updated October 9, 2026 · 4 min read

What should I check for the establishment and the steps?

Start by checking the type of establishment and its candling facilities, because each type has different functions (RIISPOA, art. 20).

Confirm whether the establishment is a poultry farm or an egg processing unit, with the functions of each (RIISPOA, art. 20).
Verify that there are facilities and equipment for candling and grading (RIISPOA, art. 45).
Carry out the four procedures: assessment of shell cleanliness and integrity, candling, grading and packaging check (RIISPOA, art. 223).

How do I separate Class A and Class B?

Eggs for human consumption are separated into Class A and Class B by their qualitative characteristics (RIISPOA, art. 224).

Reserve Class A for eggs with a shell and cuticle of normal shape, smooth, clean and intact (RIISPOA, art. 225).
Check the air cell: height not exceeding 6 mm and stationary (RIISPOA, art. 225).
Move to Class B the harmless eggs that do not meet Class A, and eggs with a few small blood spots (RIISPOA, art. 226).
Document in the Self-Control Programme, and in the production flow registered in PGA-SIGSIF, any downgrade from Class A to Class B made as a commercial decision (MAPA, question 33).

What should I do with cracked and dirty eggs?

A clean cracked egg with an intact membrane goes to industrial processing. A dirty cracked egg cannot be used in egg products (RIISPOA, arts. 227 and 228). The cracked egg has its own rules depending on whether the shell is clean or dirty.

Separate clean cracked eggs with an intact membrane for industrial processing as quickly as possible (RIISPOA, art. 227).
Discard dirty cracked eggs immediately, or break them in an identified container (MAPA, question 26).
Wash dirty intact eggs and eggs destined for industrial processing; cracked eggs may not be washed (MAPA, question 28).
Run pre-selection to remove dirty cracked eggs when washing happens before candling, on a continuous line (MAPA, question 24).

How do I handle unfit and body-checked eggs?

An egg with a broken shell and membranes is unfit for human consumption (RIISPOA, art. 500). A body-checked egg, with an internal crack visible only on candling, is a different case (MAPA, question 3).

Remove eggs with yolk stuck to the shell, a dark or blood spot that reaches the white, mummification, rot or fungal contamination (RIISPOA, art. 500).
Remove eggs with faecal dirt on the shell, or that have had contact with substances that transmit strange odours or flavours (RIISPOA, art. 500, item V).
Separate body-checked eggs from cracked eggs, because MAPA says body-checked eggs may be sold as Class A (MAPA, question 3).

Where does electronic candling fit in the checklist?

Electronic candling follows its own MAPA rule, and a surface camera is not electronic candling. A camera such as the one from Vigiovo does not see the inside of the egg, such as the yolk, the air cell or hairline cracks.

Document in the Self-Control Programme the frequency, evaluation method and records of the check on electronic candling equipment (MAPA, question 34).
Confirm that a validated sampling system of manual checks is planned for the electronic equipment (MAPA, question 34).
Keep separate production flows for each type of egg, described in the Self-Control Programme and in PGA-SIGSIF (MAPA, question 27).

Frequently asked questions

Which rules apply to grading eggs in Brazil?: RIISPOA, Decree 9.013/2017, is the base, with articles on establishments, steps, categories and unfit eggs. MAPA also published questions and answers on Ordinance 612/2022, which this checklist cites when needed.
Does this checklist replace the official text?: No. It summarises the rules it cites and points to the article or question behind each item. Before deciding anything for your line, read the official text of the decree and the ordinance and confirm your reading with the competent inspection authority.
Why doesn't the checklist give weight values?: Because the sources used here do not give weight values for Brazil. RIISPOA only says that grading by weight must follow the RTIQ (RIISPOA, art. 224). For the limits, consult that regulation.

Sources

Decreto nº 9.013/2017 (RIISPOA), Presidência da República (Brasil)
Perguntas e respostas sobre a Portaria MAPA nº 612/2022 (versão de 05/06/2023), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA)

How Vigiovo helps

Vigiovo grades eggs on the conveyor as clean, dirty, cracked or unverified, in real time, with deterministic computer vision: every decision comes with the measurements behind it, on an ordinary CPU.

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