Can a dirty egg be washed?

It depends on where it goes. A dirty, uncracked egg going to industrial processing must be washed (MAPA Ordinance 612/2022, art. 18). A cracked egg must not be washed (MAPA FAQ, question 28), and a dirty cracked egg may not be used in egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228).

How must eggs be washed in Brazil?

Entirely by mechanical means, using procedures that prevent microbial penetration into the egg. MAPA's answer to question 30 says this applies to establishments of any size.

What is the difference between a dirty egg and a cracked egg for washing?

A dirty, uncracked egg can be washed, and washing is mandatory if it goes to processing (art. 18). A cracked egg must not be washed (MAPA FAQ, question 28). A dirty cracked egg must be discarded immediately or broken into a labelled container (question 26).

Guide · Standards and regulation

Egg washing: when it is mandatory and how it must be done

In Brazil, washing is the step that sanitises eggs, and it is mandatory only for dirty, uncracked eggs going to industrial processing (MAPA Ordinance 612/2022, art. 18). Cracked eggs must not be washed. When eggs are washed, it must be done entirely by mechanical means, in a way that prevents microbial penetration into the egg, at any size of establishment.

Updated October 9, 2026 · 3 min read

When is washing mandatory?

Washing is mandatory only for dirty, uncracked eggs going to industrial processing (MAPA Ordinance 612/2022, art. 18, as stated in MAPA's question 38). MAPA's answer to question 28 gives the same rule: washing is mandatory only for dirty, intact eggs and for eggs destined to processing.

Cracked eggs are the exception. They must not be washed, and a cracked egg with a clean shell can go to breaking without washing. The table sets out each case. For what to do with a dirty cracked egg, see disposing of dirty cracked eggs.

When washing applies
Situation	Washing	Basis
Dirty, uncracked, for processing	Mandatory	Ordinance 612, art. 18 (question 38)
Cracked, clean shell, for breaking	Must not be washed; may be broken	MAPA FAQ, question 28
Dirty and cracked	Must not be washed or used in egg products	RIISPOA, art. 228
Clean, uncracked	Not mandatory	MAPA FAQ, question 28

How must washing be done?

Washing must be done entirely by mechanical means, with procedures that prevent microbial penetration into the egg (MAPA FAQ, question 30). This requirement applies to establishments of every size.

Washing can strip the cuticle, the thin film that helps close the shell's pores.

How do you organise washing within a farm or plant?

The organisation starts with separating the flows. Each type of egg needs its own production flow, so every egg stays traceable, and those flows must be described in the self-control programme (Programa de Autocontrole) and in the product registration in the PGA-SIGSIF system (MAPA FAQ, question 27).

Separate the flow for each type of egg, such as dirty, cracked and clean.
Describe each flow in the self-control programme.
Register the product in the PGA-SIGSIF system with the same flow.
Check that washing is entirely mechanical, as question 30 requires.

Can a camera help with this rule?

A grading camera does not wash eggs. It can separate each dirty egg and record its class, which helps keep the flow traceable.

Vigiovo measures dirt against each egg's own shading, not a fixed brightness, and grades an egg as dirty when stains add up to 3% or more of the visible area. That is a configuration value, calibrated on each line, not a legal criterion. See how it works.

A camera sees the shell, not the membrane inside. So telling a cracked egg from a leaker, and finding hairline cracks, still depends on candling or acoustic testing.

Frequently asked questions

Can a dirty egg be washed?: It depends on where it goes. A dirty, uncracked egg going to industrial processing must be washed (MAPA Ordinance 612/2022, art. 18). A cracked egg must not be washed (MAPA FAQ, question 28), and a dirty cracked egg may not be used in egg products (RIISPOA, art. 228).
How must eggs be washed in Brazil?: Entirely by mechanical means, using procedures that prevent microbial penetration into the egg. MAPA's answer to question 30 says this applies to establishments of any size.
What is the difference between a dirty egg and a cracked egg for washing?: A dirty, uncracked egg can be washed, and washing is mandatory if it goes to processing (art. 18). A cracked egg must not be washed (MAPA FAQ, question 28). A dirty cracked egg must be discarded immediately or broken into a labelled container (question 26).

Sources

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

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.

See how it works