# What are Class A and Class B eggs in the European Union? > In the European Union, Class A is the best quality for table eggs: a normal, clean and intact shell, with the interior within defined limits. Every egg that does not meet those characteristics is Class B, including a Class A egg that loses them. An egg not marked within 10 days after laying is also Class B. Updated: 2026-10-09 · URL: https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/eu-class-a-and-b-eggs · Português: https://vigiovo.com/recursos/classes-a-e-b-uniao-europeia.md ## Key takeaways - Article 3(1) describes Class A in seven items, (a) to (g), from the shell to foreign smell. - An egg that does not meet Article 3(1) is Class B, and a Class A egg that loses those characteristics is downgraded to Class B (Article 3(2)). - An egg not marked within 10 days after laying is Class B (Article 3(2)). - Class A eggs may not be washed or cleaned before or after grading, with the exception provided for in the regulation (Article 4(1)). - Article 25 repeals Regulation (EC) No 589/2008. ## What characteristics define Class A? Article 3(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465 defines Class A by seven characteristics. An egg must meet all of them to be Class A: - (a) shell and cuticle of normal shape, clean and undamaged; - (b) air cell up to 6 mm high and stationary, or up to 4 mm for eggs marketed as “extra”; - (c) yolk visible on candling only as a shadow, without a clearly discernible outline, moving slightly when the egg is turned and returning to the centre; - (d) clear, translucent white; - (e) germ with imperceptible development; - (f) no foreign matter, which is not permissible; - (g) no unintended foreign smell, which is also not permissible. The limits are set in the regulation, but the text cited here does not describe how to measure them. ## When is an egg Class B? Class B is any egg that does not meet the Class A characteristics. Under Article 3(2), Class B is defined by exclusion: it is an egg that fails the characteristics of Article 3(1). There are two other routes to Class B. The first is downgrading: a Class A egg that no longer has those characteristics becomes Class B. The second is timing: an egg not marked within 10 days after laying is Class B, whatever the condition of its shell and interior. A cracked egg, for example, fails Article 3(1)(a), which requires an undamaged shell. For the difference between a crack and a leaker, see the [guide to cracked eggs](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/how-to-identify-cracked-eggs). ## Can Class A eggs be washed? No. Under Article 4(1), Class A eggs may not be washed or cleaned, before or after grading, except as provided for in paragraph 3 of the same article. The text cited here refers to that paragraph 3 without reproducing it, so this guide does not describe the exception. Read the full regulation before applying the rule. The rule connects to the [cuticle](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#cuticle), the film that helps seal the shell's pores. Washing can remove it, which is one reason for the ban. ## What is the deadline for marking an egg? The deadline is 10 days after laying. Under Article 3(2), an egg not marked within that period becomes Class B, even if it meets the other Class A characteristics. The deadline is therefore part of the class rule, not only a labelling requirement. The text cited here does not say how the marking must be made. ## How is Class A checked in practice? In practice, the shell and visible dirt show on the surface, while the air cell, yolk, white and germ are seen only with light behind the egg, through [candling](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#candling). A surface camera does not see inside the egg. Vigiovo's classes are clean, dirty, cracked and unverified, and they do not assess the air cell or the yolk. See [how it works](https://vigiovo.com/en/how-it-works). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can an egg not marked within 10 days be sold as Class A? No. Under Article 3(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, an egg not marked within 10 days after laying is Class B. This applies even when the shell and interior are within the Class A limits. ### Can Class A eggs be washed in the European Union? Generally not. Article 4(1) says Class A eggs may not be washed or cleaned before or after grading. The article also refers to an exception in another paragraph, which the text used here does not reproduce, so this guide does not describe it. ### Does a Class A egg change class if it loses a characteristic? Yes. Under Article 3(2), a Class A egg that no longer has the characteristics of Article 3(1) is downgraded to Class B. A crack that breaks the shell, for example, means the egg no longer meets item (a), which requires an undamaged shell. ## Sources - [Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2465, marketing standards for eggs](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/2465/oj/eng), EUR-Lex ## Read next - [Electronic candling: what Brazil's Ordinance 612 allows](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/electronic-candling-rules.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): According to MAPA, Ordinance 612 accepts electronic equipment with results equivalent to traditional candling, provided a validated sampling check is done by hand. - [EU egg weight grades: XL, L, M and S](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/eu-egg-weight-grades.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): The weight limits for each EU egg grade (XL, L, M and S), how to grade an egg that sits exactly on a limit, and what weight does not decide. - [How to identify cracked eggs: types, methods and rules](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/how-to-identify-cracked-eggs.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): What a cracked egg (check) is, how it differs from a leaker, which methods detect each kind of crack and where cracked eggs must go under the regulations. ## 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.