Guide · Standards and regulation
What must the self-control programme document in egg grading?
According to MAPA's answers, the self-control programme (Autocontrole) must describe three points of grading: the separate production flows for each type of egg, the downgrade from Class A to Class B when the company adopts it for commercial reasons, and how electronic candling is verified. The programme is the company's responsibility, and no equipment replaces it (MAPA FAQ, questions 27, 33 and 34).
Updated · 4 min read
What does MAPA say must appear in the self-control programme?
MAPA's answers on grading name three points. The table gathers what each answer says must be described, without adding requirements.
| Topic | What must be described | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Production flows by type of egg | Separate flows to guarantee traceability of each type of egg, described in the programme and in the product registration in PGA-SIGSIF | MAPA FAQ, question 27 |
| Downgrade from Class A to Class B | When adopted for commercial reasons, the downgrade and the flow in the Class B egg registration in PGA-SIGSIF | MAPA FAQ, question 33 |
| Electronic candling | How the equipment's efficiency is checked: frequency, evaluation method and recording method | MAPA FAQ, question 34 |
These three points are what the questions say. They do not cover the whole programme, which each establishment builds for its own process.
How should separate production flows be described?
Each type of egg needs a separate production flow to guarantee traceability (MAPA FAQ, question 27). The flow must be described in two places: the Autocontrole programme and the product registration in the PGA-SIGSIF system.
Before describing the flows, confirm which type of establishment your operation is, a poultry farm or egg processing unit. The case of free-range and organic eggs is covered in traceability: separate flows.
Does a downgrade from Class A to Class B need to be in the programme?
Yes, if the company adopts the downgrade. MAPA says that downgrading Class A eggs to Class B for commercial reasons is the company's decision (question 33).
When it is adopted, the downgrade must be described in the Autocontrole programme and in the production flow of the Class B egg registration in PGA-SIGSIF (MAPA FAQ, question 33). For the commercial context, see downgrading Class A eggs to Class B.
What must the electronic candling check record?
The programme must provide a way of checking the efficiency of electronic candling, with its frequency, evaluation method and recording method (MAPA FAQ, question 34). The answer links this to the manual sampling check of a validated system, provided for in art. 26, § 4º of Ordinance 612.
The description must cover three points:
- Describe the frequency of the check.
- Describe the evaluation method, including the integrity and dirt of the shell and the interior content, which MAPA names as criteria.
- Describe how each check is recorded.
The rule covers equipment with results equivalent to traditional candling. It does not say that a surface camera meets that condition, and a surface camera does not see inside the egg. See electronic candling under Ordinance 612.
What does the programme not guarantee on its own?
Describing these points does not make an operation compliant by itself. The programme must reflect what the line actually does, and the records must show that it happens.
A per-egg record helps audit grading. For each egg, Vigiovo emits a record with the class, the scores, a readable reason and the raw measurements (see how it works). That record documents what was graded, but it does not replace the description of flows that MAPA requires (question 27). For the format, see per-egg records for grading audits.
Frequently asked questions
Which grading points does MAPA say must appear in the self-control programme?
- MAPA's answers name three points: separate production flows for each type of egg (question 27), the downgrade from Class A to Class B when the company adopts it for commercial reasons (question 33), and how electronic candling is verified (question 34).
Does a per-egg record replace the description of the flows?
- No. A per-egg record documents what was graded, but according to MAPA the separate production flows must be described in the Autocontrole programme and in the product registration in PGA-SIGSIF (question 27).
Does a camera count as electronic candling?
- Question 34 of MAPA covers electronic equipment with results equivalent to traditional candling, with a manual check by a validated sampling system. It does not say that a surface camera meets that condition, and a surface camera does not see inside the egg.
Sources
- Perguntas e respostas sobre a Portaria MAPA nº 612/2022 (versão de 05/06/2023), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA)
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.