# Which checklist should you follow to reduce cracked eggs? > Use this checklist to reduce cracked eggs in four areas: handling, the collection belt, packaging and monitoring, along with the destination of each cracked egg. Each item carries its RIISPOA basis where one exists (arts. 223, 225, 227 and 228). The guidance is general practice, with no drop heights or speeds, which depend on each machine. Updated: 2026-10-09 · URL: https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/cracked-egg-prevention-checklist · Português: https://vigiovo.com/recursos/checklist-prevencao-de-trincas.md ## Key takeaways - The shell must be intact for an egg to be Class A (RIISPOA, art. 225), so all prevention starts with the shell. - A clean cracked egg with an intact membrane goes to industrial processing as quickly as possible (RIISPOA, art. 227). - A dirty cracked egg cannot be washed or used in egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228). - The checklist reduces cracks caused by operations; hairline cracks only show up on candling. ## What should you check in egg handling? Handling comes first, because every change of hands or container is a chance for a crack. The items below cut unnecessary contact and separate already-damaged eggs early. 1. Train the team to handle eggs carefully, without squeezing, dragging or dropping them. 2. Avoid stacking containers beyond their capacity, so the weight does not rest on the eggs below. 3. Separate cracked eggs as soon as they appear, so they do not go back into the tray. 4. Avoid washing or using dirty cracked eggs in egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228). ## What should you check on the collection belt? The belt is often where operational cracks start, because of impacts at transfers and sudden speed changes. Check the points below before each shift and whenever the line changes. The [belt maintenance guide](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/collection-belt-maintenance) explains how to act in each case. 1. Check that rollers and guides are aligned, with no play and no visible wear. 2. Check the transfers between belts, which are the points where the egg takes the most impact. 3. Watch sections where the speed changes sharply and adjust the handover between them. 4. Remove the broken egg from the line as soon as it happens, because an egg with a broken shell and membranes is unfit for human consumption (RIISPOA, art. 500, VII). ## What should you check in packaging? Packaging closes the process, and a damaged container can crack eggs that were intact. The items below check the container and how the eggs sit in it. 1. Check that the tray is intact, with no broken parts or edges that could damage the shell. 2. Place the eggs in the tray without forcing them into position. 3. Check hygiene conditions and the integrity of the packaging before dispatch (RIISPOA, art. 223, IV). ## How do you monitor whether cracks are going down? The checklist only works with records. Without counts by section and by shift, you cannot tell whether a change reduced cracks or the problem simply moved elsewhere. 1. Record, by line section and by shift, how many cracked eggs were separated. 2. Compare the records of one shift with another, and of one batch with another, to spot patterns. 3. Investigate the cause whenever a section concentrates more cracks than usual. 4. Review this checklist with the team whenever the equipment, the line speed or the type of incoming egg changes. A computer vision system records visible cracks egg by egg and helps with this follow-up, but it cannot see inside the egg. See how Vigiovo works in [how it works](https://vigiovo.com/en/how-it-works). ## What is the destination of each cracked egg? The destination depends on two questions: is the shell clean, and is the membrane intact? The answer sets the egg's path, and the checklist should make that clear to whoever sorts the eggs. For a cracked egg, the [shell membrane](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#shell-membranes) is what separates a crack from a leaker. 1. Send the clean egg with an intact shell membrane to industrial processing as quickly as possible (RIISPOA, art. 227). 2. Discard the dirty cracked egg, which cannot be used in egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228). 3. Do not send an egg with a broken shell and membranes for human consumption (RIISPOA, art. 500, VII). 4. Confirm the destination of an egg whose crack does not show on the shell by candling (RIISPOA, art. 223, II). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does a cracked shell always take an egg out of Class A? A crack that breaks the shell takes the egg out of Class A, because that class requires an intact shell (RIISPOA, art. 225). Cracks that only show up on candling must be assessed at that step, and candling is what decides the egg's destination. ### Can a cracked egg be washed and sold? Not as Class A. A dirty cracked egg cannot be washed or used to make egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228). A clean cracked egg with an intact membrane goes to industrial processing as quickly as possible (RIISPOA, art. 227). ### Is this checklist enough to eliminate cracks? No. The checklist reduces the cracks caused by operations, such as handling, the belt and packaging, but it does not remove cracks that already come from the farm. It also cannot see hairline cracks, which need candling. Use the records by section to know where to act first. ## Sources - [Decreto nº 9.013/2017 (RIISPOA)](https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2015-2018/2017/decreto/d9013.htm), Presidência da República (Brasil) ## Read next - [Camera inspection pilot readiness checklist](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/camera-pilot-readiness-checklist.md) (Checklist, 2026-10-09): Checklist for preparing an egg inspection pilot with a camera: camera, light, labelled eggs, computer, manual review and success criteria. - [Egg grading line audit checklist](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/egg-grading-line-audit-checklist.md) (Checklist, 2026-10-09): A checklist for auditing an egg grading line, with every item tied to the RIISPOA article or MAPA answer that supports it. - [Dirty eggs: what counts as dirty and how to grade them](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/dirty-egg-grading.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): When an egg counts as dirty, whether it can be washed, where it goes under Brazilian and EU rules, and how to measure shell dirt with a camera. ## 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. https://vigiovo.com/en/how-it-works.md 4 min read.