Which checklist should you use to audit egg grading?

What should you check at the general shell inspection?

Start with the shell, the first step of RIISPOA (art. 223, I). The items below separate what can move on to Class A from what has a different destination.

1. Confirm that the shell of Class A eggs is of normal shape, smooth, clean and intact (RIISPOA, art. 225, I).
2. Separate dirty cracked eggs, which have no use for human food (MAPA, question 5).
3. Discard dirty cracked eggs immediately, or break them in an identified container (MAPA, question 26).
4. Send clean cracked eggs with an intact shell membrane to industrial processing as quickly as possible (RIISPOA, art. 227).
5. Avoid using or washing dirty cracked eggs to make egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228).

What should you check at pre-selection and washing?

Pre-selection depends on the flow of the line. MAPA describes two situations in which it is mandatory, and the items below help confirm which one applies.

1. Check whether the line is continuous and washes eggs before candling, or whether washing happens alongside grading (MAPA, question 24).
2. Remove dirty cracked eggs at pre-selection and discard them at that point (MAPA, question 24).
3. Avoid washing cracked eggs destined for breaking: they must not be washed, but with a clean shell they may be broken (MAPA, question 28).

What should you check at candling?

Candling is a mandatory procedure. For Class A eggs it checks the air cell and the yolk, which are internal criteria that do not show on the shell.

1. Confirm that candling is provided for in the production flow (RIISPOA, art. 223, II).
2. Measure the air cell: it must be no higher than 6 mm and stationary (RIISPOA, art. 225, II).
3. Check that the yolk shows at candling only as a shadow and returns to the centre when the egg turns (RIISPOA, art. 225, III).

What should you check if the line uses electronic candling?

Electronic equipment can stand in for traditional candling only under the conditions MAPA describes in its answer to question 34, which covers art. 26, § 4º of Ordinance 612.

1. Confirm that the equipment gives results equivalent to traditional candling and that a manual check by a validated sampling system is planned (MAPA, question 34).
2. Set in the self-control programme how often the equipment is verified (MAPA, question 34).
3. Define how that verification is assessed and how it is recorded (MAPA, question 34).
4. Confirm that the verification shows whether the equipment properly assesses shell integrity, dirt and the internal contents (MAPA, question 34).

What should you check at grading and packing?

The last part of the audit covers the separation of classes, weight and packing conditions, which are separate steps of RIISPOA (art. 223, III and IV).

1. Keep Class B eggs destined exclusively for industrial processing (RIISPOA, art. 226, sole paragraph).
2. Confirm that weight grading follows RTIQ (RIISPOA, art. 224, sole paragraph).
3. Confirm that any downgrade from Class A to Class B is described in the self-control programme and the production flow (MAPA, question 33).
4. Check hygiene conditions and packaging integrity (RIISPOA, art. 223, IV).

Frequently asked questions

Can a cracked egg be graded as Class A?

No. Class A requires a normal, smooth, clean and intact shell (RIISPOA, art. 225, I). A clean cracked egg with an intact membrane goes to industrial processing (art. 227). A dirty cracked egg has no use as human food (MAPA, question 5).

When is pre-selection mandatory?

According to MAPA, it is mandatory when the line is continuous and washes eggs before candling, or when washing happens alongside grading and the eggs coming back from the washer mix with those entering the process (question 24). In those cases, dirty cracked eggs are removed there.

What must the self-control programme provide for electronic candling?

According to MAPA, the company must set out how often the equipment is verified, how that verification is assessed and how it is recorded (question 34). The aim is to make sure the equipment properly assesses shell integrity, dirt and the internal contents.

Sources

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