# How do you wash eggs destined for industrial processing? > In industrial processing, washing is mandatory for dirty, uncracked eggs, and it must be entirely mechanical (MAPA FAQ, questions 38 and 30). Cracked eggs do not go through the washer, even with a clean shell. In practice, good washing starts before the machine, with separate flows described in the self-control programme. Updated: 2026-10-09 · URL: https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/washing-eggs-for-processing · Português: https://vigiovo.com/recursos/lavagem-para-industrializacao.md ## Key takeaways - Washing is mandatory for dirty, uncracked eggs destined for industrial processing (MAPA FAQ, question 38). - Cracked eggs must not be washed, even with a clean shell (MAPA FAQ, question 28). - Washing must be done entirely by mechanical means, at any size of establishment (MAPA FAQ, question 30). - Each type of egg needs its own flow, described in the self-control programme and in PGA-SIGSIF (MAPA FAQ, question 27). ## Which eggs must go through the washer? Only [dirty](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#dirty-egg), uncracked eggs destined for industrial processing have mandatory washing (MAPA FAQ, question 38, which cites art. 18 of Ordinance 612). The other cases do not require washing, and cracked eggs must not be washed. Cracked eggs with a clean shell have their own destination, breaking, described in [clean cracked eggs: sending them to breaking](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/clean-cracked-eggs-to-breaking). So the first decision for any batch is the destination of each egg, not the machine. **Which eggs go through the washer, by egg type, under MAPA's rules** | Egg | Washing | Basis | | --- | --- | --- | | Dirty, uncracked, for processing | Mandatory | MAPA FAQ, question 38 | | Clean and intact | Not mandatory | MAPA FAQ, question 28 | | Cracked, clean or dirty shell | Must not be washed | MAPA FAQ, question 28 | ## What order of steps avoids washing what must not be washed? Separate before you wash. When washing comes before candling on a continuous line, pre-selection is mandatory and removes cracked eggs before the washer (MAPA FAQ, question 24). The same applies when washing runs alongside grading and the eggs coming back from the washer mix with the eggs entering the line (question 24). 1. Check whether washing comes before candling on a continuous line (question 24). 2. Install pre-selection ahead of the washer when that condition applies. 3. Check whether eggs coming back from the washer mix with those entering grading, since that also makes pre-selection mandatory (question 24). 4. Discard dirty cracked eggs at the pre-selection point itself (question 24). ## How must washing be done to meet MAPA's rule? It 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, and manual washing does not meet it. It is worth describing in the self-control programme how washing is carried out. Washing can also remove the [cuticle](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/glossary#cuticle), the thin film that helps close the shell's pores. ## How do you record flows for washed and unwashed eggs? Each type of egg needs its own production flow, so that every egg stays traceable. Those flows must be described in the self-control programme and in the product registration in the PGA-SIGSIF system (MAPA FAQ, question 27). If a company downgrades Class A eggs to Class B for commercial reasons, that decision must also appear in the self-control programme and in the registered flow (MAPA FAQ, question 33). - Create one flow for washed eggs and another for eggs that are not washed. - Keep cracked eggs in a separate flow that never passes through the washer. - Describe each flow in the self-control programme. - Register the same flows in PGA-SIGSIF. ## Does a camera change what must be washed? No. A grading camera does not wash eggs, and it does not decide the flow on its own. It grades each egg and records the class, which helps check whether the batch going to the washer is the batch that should go. Vigiovo grades each egg as clean, dirty, cracked or unverified, and produces a record per egg with the measurements behind the decision (see [how it works](https://vigiovo.com/en/how-it-works)). It sees visible cracks but not hairline cracks, which only show up on candling or in acoustic testing. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does every dirty egg have to be washed? No. Washing is mandatory for dirty, uncracked eggs destined for industrial processing (MAPA FAQ, question 38). Cracked eggs must not be washed (question 28), and dirty cracked eggs have no use as human food (question 5). ### Does manual washing meet MAPA's requirement? No. Washing must be done entirely by mechanical means, with procedures that prevent microbial penetration into the egg (MAPA FAQ, question 30). The requirement applies to establishments of every size, including small ones. ### Is pre-selection mandatory at every establishment? No. It is mandatory only when the line is continuous and washing comes before candling, or when washing runs alongside grading and the eggs coming back from the washer mix with the eggs entering the line (MAPA FAQ, question 24). Outside those cases, MAPA's answer does not make it mandatory. ## Sources - [Perguntas e respostas sobre a Portaria MAPA nº 612/2022 (versão de 05/06/2023)](https://wikisda.agricultura.gov.br/manual_ovos/perguntas_e_respostas_port612_2023.pdf), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) ## Read next - [How to run a camera inspection pilot](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/running-a-camera-inspection-pilot.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): How to run an egg inspection pilot with a camera on your farm or grading station: setup, labels, comparison with the system's decisions and the report. - [Egg grading on small farms](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/egg-grading-on-small-farms.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): What a small poultry farm must do when grading eggs under RIISPOA, which steps are mandatory, and how to start with a camera. - [Dirty eggs: what counts as dirty and how to grade them](https://vigiovo.com/en/resources/dirty-egg-grading.md) (Guide, 2026-10-09): When an egg counts as dirty, whether it can be washed, where it goes under Brazilian and EU rules, and how to measure shell dirt with a camera. ## 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.