Is candling mandatory for every egg graded?

Under RIISPOA, candling is one of the mandatory grading procedures (art. 223, II). According to MAPA's answer to question 25, the only exception cited here is for clean cracked eggs removed at pre-selection and sent to breaking.

Does a surface camera replace candling?

Not for interior items. A camera sees the shell and external dirt, but not the air cell, the yolk or fine cracks. Those checks need candling, and electronic candling is accepted only with a validated manual check.

What happens to a dirty cracked egg?

According to MAPA's question 5, dirty cracked eggs have no use as human food and must be discarded at once at the establishment. Candling does not decide that destination, because the dirt and the crack already do.

Guide · Standards and regulation

Is candling mandatory when grading eggs in Brazil?

Yes. RIISPOA includes candling among the grading procedures (art. 223, II), and egg establishments must have facilities and equipment for it (art. 45). The exception recognised by MAPA is narrow: clean cracked eggs, removed at pre-selection and sent to breaking, may go on without candling.

Updated October 9, 2026 · 4 min read

What does RIISPOA say about candling?

Art. 223 lists four procedures for egg establishments: a general check of the cleanliness and integrity of the shell (item I), candling (item II), grading (item III) and a check of hygiene and packaging integrity (item IV). Candling is the step that examines the inside of the egg, so it cannot be treated as an extra.

The obligation also appears in how establishments are described. Art. 20, § 1º includes candling among the activities of a poultry farm, and § 3º includes it in an egg processing unit. It is part of the activity itself for anyone who grades eggs.

What facilities and equipment does candling require?

Art. 45 requires egg establishments to have facilities and equipment for candling and for grading. The rule notes that this respects the technological particularities of each establishment, so the layout can vary, but the requirement to have that structure remains.

In practice, candling is an examination of the egg against a strong light, done in a dark area. That is why it takes its own place on the line, separate from the shell inspection.

When can candling be skipped?

According to MAPA's answer to question 25, the case covered is that of cracked eggs with a clean shell, removed at pre-selection and sent to breaking. The answer rests on art. 45, which allows candling to be optional given the technological particularities. Because these eggs go to breaking, an unfit egg is removed at the breaking stage itself.

Pre-selection has its own conditions. According to question 24, it is mandatory when the line is continuous and washing happens before candling, or when eggs coming back from the washer mix with those entering grading. Its purpose is to set aside cracked eggs with a clean shell and an intact shell membrane for breaking.

Candling by situation, according to RIISPOA and MAPA's answers
Situation	What happens	Basis
Grading in general	Candling is mandatory	RIISPOA, art. 223, II
Cracked egg with a clean shell, removed at pre-selection and sent to breaking	May go to breaking without candling	MAPA, question 25, based on art. 45
Dirty cracked egg	Discarded at once, with no use as human food	MAPA, question 5

Can a camera replace candling?

No, for interior items. A surface camera sees the shell and external dirt, but not the air cell, the yolk or fine cracks. Those items need the light-behind-the-egg examination that a surface cannot provide.

The case of fissured eggs shows the difference. Internal cracks formed in the hen's uterus only show on candling, and MAPA says such eggs can be sold as Class A even after washing (question 3). Without candling, the grader does not know the egg has that internal crack.

Does electronic candling remove the need for a manual check?

No. According to MAPA, art. 26, § 4º of Ordinance 612 accepts electronic equipment with results equivalent to traditional candling, provided a manual check by a validated sampling system is planned (question 34).

The company must describe in its self-control programme how often that check happens, how it is assessed and how it is recorded. The full conditions are in electronic candling under Ordinance 612.

Frequently asked questions

Is candling mandatory for every egg graded?: Under RIISPOA, candling is one of the mandatory grading procedures (art. 223, II). According to MAPA's answer to question 25, the only exception cited here is for clean cracked eggs removed at pre-selection and sent to breaking.
Does a surface camera replace candling?: Not for interior items. A camera sees the shell and external dirt, but not the air cell, the yolk or fine cracks. Those checks need candling, and electronic candling is accepted only with a validated manual check.
What happens to a dirty cracked egg?: According to MAPA's question 5, dirty cracked eggs have no use as human food and must be discarded at once at the establishment. Candling does not decide that destination, because the dirt and the crack already do.

Sources

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

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