Egg Handling: Cleaning and Refrigeration
The following steps and procedures are the guidelines from the WSDA Shell Egg Producer Guidelines for Off-Farm Sales.
Hands must be thoroughly washed before starting egg handling and during egg handling to minimize cross-contamination of “finished” eggs.
Maintain clean and dry nest boxes, change nest material as needed to reduce dirty eggs. Gather eggs at least once daily.
Soon after collecting, clean eggs as needed. (Cleaning eggs refrigerated below 55 F may cause shells to crack or check.) Using only minimal cleaning protects the natural protective covering on the shell.
Acceptable egg cleaning methods include:
• dry cleaning by lightly “sanding” the stains or minimal dirty areas with sand paper;
• using potable water in a hand spray bottle and immediately wiping dry with a single service
paper towel; and/or
• briefly rinsing with running water spray and immediately wiping dry with a single service
paper towel.
The “wash” water should be a minimum of 90 F, which is warm “to the touch,” and shall be at least 20 F warmer than the temperature of the eggs to be washed.
Unacceptable cleaning methods include submerging shell eggs in water or any other solution or using cleaners that are not food grade and approved for shell egg cleaning.
Note that the porous eggshell is not impervious to odors, chemicals and “off” flavors.
Since eggs are a perishable food, “cleaned” eggs must be held under sanitary conditions with refrigeration temperatures at 45 F or less. The “cleaned” eggs can be packaged later.
Packaging Eggs and Labeling Cartons
Shell egg producers are required to sell eggs in any type of new packaging or container, provided that the eggs are protected from damage and/or adulteration. By adulteration we mean contact with leaking or damaged eggs or any other poisonous or deleterious substance that may render the contents injurious to health. Please note that it is unlawful to reuse old egg containers to package eggs. It is also unlawful to package eggs in containers labeled with another firm’s name and/or identification number.
There are very specific requirements for what needs to be on an egg container. Each new carton must include:
Common name of the food: “Eggs”
If other than a chicken egg, then the type of egg: “Duck”
Quantity, the number of eggs: “One Dozen” Name and address of the egg producer
The statement: “Keep Refrigerated”
