[46 FR 39571, Aug. 4, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]

§ 56.212 General terms.

(a) Loss. An egg that is inedible, cooked, frozen, contaminated, or containing bloody whites, large blood spots, large unsightly meat spots, or other foreign material.

(b) Inedible eggs. Eggs of the following descriptions are classed as inedible: black rots, yellow rots, white rots, mixed rots (addled eggs), sour eggs, eggs with green whites, eggs with stuck yolks, moldy eggs, musty eggs, eggs showing blood rings, eggs containing embryo chicks (at or beyond the *blood ring state), and any eggs that care adulterated as such term is defined pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(c) Leaker. An individual egg that has a crack or break in the shell and hell membranes to the extent that he egg contents are exuding or free to exude through the shell.

20 FR 677, Feb. 1, 1955, as amended at 31 R 2774, Feb. 16, 1966; 32 FR 8232, June 8, 967. Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 977, and at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981, and mended at 47 FR 46070, Oct. 15, 1982; 47 R 54421, Dec. 3, 1982]

(a) These grades are applicable to dible shell eggs in “lot” quantities ather than on an "individual" egg pasis. A lot may contain any quantity of two or more eggs. Reference in hese standards to the term "case" means 30-dozen egg cases as used in ommercial practices in the United tates. The size of the sample used to etermine grade shall be on the basis of the requirements of § 56.4 or as deermined by the National Supervisor.

(b) Terms used in this part that are efined in the United States Standrds For Quality Of Individual Shell ggs (§ 56.200 et seq.) have the same eaning in this part as in those standrds.

(c) Aggregate tolerances are permited within each grade only as an alowance for variable efficiency and inWerpretation of graders, normal Changes under favorable conditions

during reasonable periods between grading, and reasonable variation of graders' interpretation.

(d) Substitution of higher qualities for the lower qualities specified is permitted.

(e) "No grade" means eggs of possible edible quality that fail to meet the requirements of an official U.S. Grade or that have been contaminated by smoke, chemicals, or other foreign material which has seriously affected the character, appearance, or flavor of the eggs.

[20 FR 677, Feb. 1, 1955, as amended at 28 FR 6346, June 20, 1963; 32 FR 8232, June 8, 1967. Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 1977, and amended at 46 FR 39571, Aug. 4, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]

(a) U.S. Grade AA. (1) U.S. Consumer Grade AA (at origin) shall consist of eggs which are at least 87 percent AA quality. The maximum tolerance of 13 percent which may be below AA quality may consist of A or B quality in any combination, except that within the tolerance for B quality not more than 1 percent may be B quality due to air cells over % inch, blood spots (aggregating not more than % inch in diameter), or serious yolk defects. Not more than 5 percent (7 percent for Jumbo size) Checks are permitted and not more than 0.50 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

(2) U.S. Consumer Grade AA (destination) shall consist of eggs which are at least 72 percent AA quality. The remaining tolerance of 28 percent shall consist of at least 10 percent A quality and the remainder shall be B quality, except that within the tolerance for B quality not more than 1 percent may be B quality due to air cells over % inch, blood spots (aggregating not more than 8 inch in diameter), or serious yolk defects. Not more than 7 percent (9 percent for Jumbo size) Checks are permitted and not more than 1

percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

(b) U.S. Grade A. (1) U.S. Consumer Grade A (at origin) shall consist of eggs which are at least 87 percent A quality or better. Within the maximum tolerance of 13 percent which may be below A quality, not more than 1 percent may be B quality due to air cells over % inch, blood spots (aggregating not more than % inch in diameter), or serious yolk defects. Not more than 5 percent (7 percent for Jumbo size) Checks are permitted and not more than 0.50 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

(2) U.S. Consumer Grade A (destination) shall consist of eggs which are at least 82 percent A quality or better. Within the maximum tolerance of 18 percent which may be below A quality, not more than 1 percent may be B quality due to air cells over % inch, blood spots (aggregating not more than 8 inch in diameter), or serious yolk defects. Not more than 7 percent (9 percent for Jumbo size) Checks are permitted and not more than 1 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

(c) U.S. Grade B. (1) U.S. Consumer Grade B (at origin) shall consist of eggs which are at least 90 percent B quality or better, not more than 10 percent may be Checks and not more than 0.50 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

(2) U.S. Consumer Grade B (destination) shall consist of eggs which are at least 90 percent B quality or better, not more than 10 percent may be Checks and not more than 1 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination, except that such Loss may not exceed

0.30 percent. Other types of Loss not permitted.

(d) Additional tolerances:

(1) In lots of two or more cases: (1) For Grade AA-No individa case may exceed 10 percent less! quality eggs than the minimum ș mitted for the lot average.

(ii) For Grade A—No individual a may exceed 10 percent less A qua eggs than the minimum permitted the lot average.

(iii) For Grade B-No individual may exceed 10 percent less B qual eggs than the minimum permitted the lot average.

(2) For Grades AA, A, and B, no shall be rejected or downgraded due the quality of a single egg except Loss other than blood or meat spow

[46 FR 39572, Aug. 4, 1981; 46 FR Aug. 21, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63 Dec. 31, 1981]

For the U.S. Consumer grades (destination), a tolerance of 1 percent Leakers, Dirties, or Loss (due to meat or blood spots) in any combination is permitted, except that such Loss 105 may not exceed 0.30 percent. Other types of Loss are not permitted.

* For U.S. Grade AA at destination, at least 10 percent must be A quality or better.

5 For U.S. Grade AA and A at origin and destination within the tolerances permitted for B quality, not more than 1 percent may be B quality due to air cells over % inch, blood spots (aggregating not more than 1⁄4 inch in diameter), or serious yolk defects.

For U.S. Grades AA and A Jumbo size eggs, the tolerance for Checks at origin and destination is 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

[46 FR 39572, Aug. 4, 1981; 46 FR 42441, US Aug. 21, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, foll Dec. 31, 1981]

lower weight class is permitted as long

as no individual case within the lot exceeds 5 percent.

[20 FR 677, Feb. 1, 1955, as amended at 20 FR 10015, Dec. 29, 1955; 32 FR 8233, June 8, 1967. Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 1977, and at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]

UNITED STATES WHOLESALE GRADES AND WEIGHT CLASSES FOR SHELL EGGS

§ 56.226

Grades.

(a) "U.S. Specials-% AA Quality" shall consist of eggs of which at least 20 percent are AA quality; and the actual percentage of AA quality eggs shall be stated in the grade name. Within the maximum of 80 percent which may be below AA quality, not more than 7.5 percent may be B quality, Dirties, or Checks in any combination and not more than 2.0 percent may be Loss.

(b) "U.S. Extras-% A Quality" shall consist of eggs of which at least 20 percent are A quality; and the actual total percentage of A quality and better shall be stated in the grade name. Within the maximum of 80 percent which may be below A quality, not more than 11.7 percent may be Dirties or Checks in any combination and not more than 3.0 percent may be Loss.

(c) "U.S. Standards-% B Quality" shall consist of eggs of which at least 84.3 percent are B quality; and the actual total percentage of B quality and better shall be stated in the grade name. Within the maximum of 15.7 percent which may be below B quality, not more than 11.7 percent may be Dirties or Checks in any combination and not more than 4.0 percent may be Loss.

[46 FR 39572, Aug. 4, 1981; 46 FR 42441, Aug. 21, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]

§ 56.227 Summary of grades.

A summary of the United States Wholesale Grades for Shell Eggs follows as Table I of this section:

* None except for tolerance.

[46 FR 39573, Aug. 4, 1981. Redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]

Eggs shall be as indicated in Table I of this section.

§ 56.228 Weight classes.

(a) The weight classes for United States Wholesale Grades for Shell

U.S. NEST-RUN GRADE AND WEIGHT CLASSES FOR SHELL EGGS

§ 56.230 Grade.

"U.S. Nest Run-% AA Quality" shall consist of eggs of current production of which at least 20 percent are AA quality; and the actual percentage of AA quality eggs shall be stated in the grade name. Within the maximum of 15 percent which may be below A quality, not more than 10 percent may be B quality for shell shape, interior quality (including meat or blood spots), or due to rusty or blackish-appearing cage marks or blood stains,

not more than 5 percent may have ad hering dirt or foreign material on the shell 1⁄2 inch or larger in diameter, no more than 6 percent may be Checks and not more than 3 percent may b Loss. Marks which are slightly gray i appearance and adhering dirt or for eign material on the shell less than inch in diameter are not considered quality factors. The eggs shall be off cially graded for all other quality fac tors. No case may contain less than 75 percent A quality and AA quality egg in any combination.

[46 FR 39573, Aug. 4, 1981. Redesignated & 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981]