# What is a leaker egg, and where should it go? > A leaker is an egg whose shell and shell membranes are broken, so the contents are exposed or leak through the shell. In Brazil, RIISPOA treats it as unfit for human consumption as it is (art. 500, VII). It is more serious than a check, because the membrane that protects the inside has broken too. Updated: 2026-10-09 · URL: https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/leaker-eggs · Português: https://vigiovo.com/recursos/ovo-vazado.md ## Key takeaways - A leaker has a broken shell and broken membranes, with the contents exposed or leaking (7 CFR 57.1). - Under RIISPOA, a leaker is unfit for human consumption as it is (art. 500, VII). - On the line, the contents on the shell show up as dirt, and the broken shell shows up as a crack. - A camera sees what is on the shell, not the membrane underneath. ## What is a leaker egg? A leaker is an egg whose shell and [shell membranes](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#shell-membranes) are broken to the point that the contents are exposed or exuding through the shell. The US definition in 7 CFR 57.1 says the same: the crack reaches the shell and the membranes, and the contents are free to leave. It differs from a [check](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#check), in which the membranes stay intact and nothing leaks. The difference is one of extent: in a check the membrane holds; in a leaker it has given way. To compare the three cases side by side, see [check, broken or leaker](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/check-broken-or-leaker). ## Why is a leaker unfit for consumption? RIISPOA treats as unfit for human consumption, as they are, eggs with the shell and the shell membranes broken (art. 500, VII). The rule does not depend on whether the egg looks dirty: the break already exposes the contents, and that is enough for the decision. The exposed contents are the main risk. They sit in direct contact with the environment of the line and can soil the shells of neighbouring eggs. For that reason a leaker should not go to Class A, nor be handled like an ordinary check, since Class A requires an intact shell (art. 225, I). For the full set of cases that make an egg unfit, see [eggs unfit for consumption](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/eggs-unfit-for-consumption). ## How does a camera see a leaker? A camera sees the surface, and the sign of a leaker is what remains on the shell: run-out contents, adhering yolk or white, and the crack itself, which shows as a line or a break in the outline. A wet sheen or a smear down the shell also points to leakage to a trained eye. In Vigiovo, content stuck to the shell counts as dirt, such as [yolk](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#dirty-egg), and a visible crack counts as cracked. The system has no separate class for leakers. An egg that cannot be seen whole goes to manual review, without a grade. The camera measures what is on the shell. The integrity of the membrane is something it does not observe directly, so what has left the shell is the signal it can use. ## What should the line do with a leaker? Treat a leaker as a destination defect, not as a class adjustment. The sequence below keeps it away from packing and from the neighbouring eggs: 1. Remove the leaker from the line as soon as it is identified, before packing. 2. Do not route it to Class A, because the shell must be intact (RIISPOA, art. 225, I). 3. Separate it from the clean eggs and record the reason, to keep the batch traceable. 4. Check the nearest eggs for dirt that came from the spilled contents. For the rest of the line, the most useful order is camera before candling, as explained in [candling or computer vision](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/candling-vs-computer-vision). See also [how to identify cracked eggs](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/how-to-identify-cracked-eggs). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a leaker egg be eaten? Not as it is. RIISPOA treats eggs with broken shell and shell membranes as unfit for human consumption (art. 500, VII). A leaker must not be sold as Class A and must not go on to packing. ### What is the difference between a leaker and a check? In a check the shell breaks, but the membranes stay intact and the contents do not leak. In a leaker the shell and membranes both break, and the contents are exposed or leak out (7 CFR 57.1). The membrane is what separates the two cases. ### Can a camera detect a leaker? It detects the signs left on the shell: run-out contents, adhering dirt and the crack itself. It cannot see the membrane from inside. In Vigiovo, content on the shell is counted as dirt, and the crack is counted as a cracked egg. ## Sources - [7 CFR § 57.1 Definitions (Inspection of Eggs)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-57/subpart-A/section-57.1), U.S. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - [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 - [The egg air cell: the 6 mm limit explained](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/egg-air-cell.md) (Explainer, 2026-10-09): The Class A air cell limit of 6 mm and stationary under RIISPOA art. 225 and EU Regulation 2023/2465, why only candling measures it and a camera cannot. - [Hairline cracks in eggs: why cameras miss them](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/hairline-cracks-in-eggs.md) (Explainer, 2026-10-09): What a hairline crack in an egg is, why it does not show under normal light, how candling and acoustic testing reveal it and what Vigiovo detects. - [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.