Arizona Administrative Code
Title 3 - AGRICULTURE
Chapter 2 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - ANIMAL SERVICES DIVISION
Article 11 - VOLUNTARY EGG GRADING PROGRAM
Section R3-2-1122 - Minimum Facility and Operating Requirements for Egg Grading and Packing Plants

1. The outside premises shall be free from refuse, rubbish, waste, unused equipment, and other materials and conditions which constitute a source of odors or a harbor for insects, rodents, and other vermin.

2. The outside premises adjacent to grading, packing, cooler, and storage rooms must be constructed to provide proper drainage to prevent conditions that may constitute a source of odors or propagate insects or rodents.

3. Buildings shall be of sound construction so as to prevent, insofar as practicable, the entrance or harboring of vermin.

4. Grading and packing rooms shall be of sufficient size to permit installation of necessary equipment and conduct grading and packing in a sanitary manner. These rooms shall be kept reasonably clean during grading and packing operations and shall be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each operating day.

5. The floors, walls, ceilings, partitions, and other parts of the grading and packing rooms including benches and platforms shall be constructed of materials that are readily cleanable, maintained in a sanitary condition, and impervious to moisture in areas exposed to cleaning solutions or moist conditions. The floors shall be constructed as to provide proper drainage.

6. Adequate toilet accommodations that are conveniently located and separated from the grading and packing rooms are to be provided. Handwashing facilities shall be provided with hot and cold running water, an acceptable handwashing detergent, and a sanitary method for drying hands. Toilet rooms shall be ventilated to the outside of the building and be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Signs shall be posted in the toilet rooms instructing employees to wash their hands before returning to work. In new or remodeled construction, toilet rooms shall be located in areas that do not open directly into processing rooms.

7. A separate refuse room or a designated area for the accumulation of trash must be provided in plants which do not have a system for the daily removal or destruction of such trash.

8. Adequate packing and packaging storage areas are to be provided that protect packaging materials and are dry and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

1. The egg grading or candling area shall be capable of adequate darkening to make possible the accurate quality determination of the candled appearance of eggs. There shall be no light source or reflection of light that interferes with, or prohibits the accurate quality determination of eggs in the grading or candling areas.

2. The grading and candling equipment shall provide adequate light to facilitate quality determinations. When needed, other light sources and equipment or facilities shall be provided to permit the detection and removal of stained and dirty eggs or other undergrade eggs.

3. The grading and candling equipment must be sanitarily designed and constructed to facilitate cleaning. Such equipment shall be kept reasonably clean during grading and packing operations and be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each operating day.

4. Egg weighing equipment shall be constructed of materials to permit cleaning; operated in a clean, sanitary manner; and shall be capable of ready adjustment.

5. Adequate ventilation, heating, and cooling shall be provided where needed.

1. Cooler rooms holding eggs that are identified with a consumer grade shall be refrigerated and capable of maintaining an ambient temperature no greater than 45 °F (7.2 °C).

2. Accurate thermometers shall be provided for monitoring cooler room temperatures.

3. Cooler rooms shall be free from objectionable odors and from mold, and shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.

1. Egg protecting (oil application) operations shall be conducted in a manner to avoid contamination of the product and maximize conservation of its quality.

2. Component equipment within the egg protecting system, including holding tanks and containers, must be sanitarily designed and maintained in a clean and sanitary manner, and the application equipment must provide an adequate amount of oil for shell coverage of the volume of eggs processed.

3. Eggs with excess moisture on the shell shall not be shell protected.

4. Oil having any off odor, or that is obviously contaminated, shall not be used in egg protection operations. Oil is to be filtered prior to application.

5. The component equipment of the application system shall be washed, rinsed, and treated with a bactericidal agent each time the oil is removed.

6. Adequate coverage and protection against dust and dirt shall be provided when the equipment is not in use.

1. Egg washing equipment must be sanitarily designed, maintained in a clean and sanitary manner, and thoroughly cleaned at the end of each operating day.

2. Egg drying equipment must be sanitarily designed and maintained in a clean and sanitary manner. Air used for drying purposes must be filtered. These filters shall be cleaned or replaced as needed to maintain a sanitary process.

3. The temperature of the wash water shall be maintained at 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher, and shall be at least 20 °F (6.7 °C) warmer than the internal temperature of the eggs to be washed. These temperatures shall be maintained throughout the cleaning cycle. Accurate thermometers shall be provided for monitoring wash water temperatures.

4. Approved cleaning compounds shall be used in the wash water.

5. Wash water shall be maintained at a measurable pH level of 11 or higher. Accurate testing equipment shall be provided and accessible to the grader. If continuous monitoring of pH is not possible, the applicant should devise a monitoring system for documenting pH with a frequency that has been validated.

6. Wash water shall be changed approximately every four hours or more often if needed to maintain sanitary conditions, and at the end of each shift. Remedial measures shall be taken to prevent excess foaming during the egg washing operation.

7. Replacement water shall be added continuously to the wash water of washers. Chlorine or quaternary sanitizing rinse water may be used as part of the replacement water, provided, they are compatible with the washing compound. Iodine sanitizing rinse water may not be used as part of the replacement water.

8. Only potable water may be used to wash eggs. Each official plant shall submit certification to the office of grading stating that their water supply is potable. An analysis of the iron content of the water supply, stated in parts per million, is also required. When the iron content exceeds two parts per million, equipment shall be provided to reduce the iron content below the maximum allowed level. Frequency of testing for potability and iron content shall be determined by the Administrator. When the water source is changed, new tests are required.

9. Waste water from the egg washing operation shall be piped directly to drains.

10. The washing, rinsing, and drying operations shall be continuous and shall be completed as rapidly as possible to maximize conservation of the egg's quality and to prevent sweating of eggs. Eggs shall not be allowed to stand or soak in water. Immersion-type washers shall not be used.

11. Prewetting eggs prior to washing may be accomplished by spraying a continuous flow of water over the eggs in a manner which permits the water to drain away or other methods which may be approved by the Administrator. The temperature of the water shall be the same as prescribed in this section.

12. Washed eggs shall be spray-rinsed with water having a temperature equal to, or warmer than, the temperature of the wash water. The spray-rinse water shall contain a sanitizer that has been determined acceptable for the intended use by the supervisor and of not less than 100 PPM nor more than 200 PPM of available chlorine or its equivalent. Alternate procedures, in lieu of a sanitizer rinse, may be approved by the Administrator.

13. Test kits shall be provided and used to determine the strength of the sanitizing solution.

14. During non-processing periods, eggs shall be removed from the washing and rinsing area of the egg washer and from the scanning area whenever there is a buildup of heat that may diminish the quality of the egg.

15. Washed eggs shall be reasonably dry before packaging and packing.

16. Steam, vapors, or odors originating from the washing and rinsing operation shall be continuously and directly exhausted to the outside of the building.

1. Eggs that are officially identified with an AZDA grademark shall be placed under refrigeration at an ambient temperature no greater than 45 °F (7.2 °C) promptly after packaging.

2. Eggs that are to be officially identified with the AZDA grademark shall be packed only in new packaging materials that are clean, free of mold, mustiness and off odors, or clean and sanitized packaging material designed to be reused, and must be of sufficient strength and durability to adequately protect the eggs during normal distribution. When packed in other than fiber packing material, the containers must be of sound construction and maintained in a reasonably clean manner.

1. All egg washing and equipment cleaning compounds, defoamers, destainers, sanitizers, inks, oils, lubricants, or any other compound that comes into contact with the eggs shall be approved by the national supervisor for their specified use and handled in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

2. All pesticides, insecticides, and rodenticides shall be approved for their specified use and handled in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

1. Stamping eggs. Recognizing the difficulty in clearly stamping the rounded surface of an egg, a lot average tolerance of 10-percent for individual eggs with partial, illegible, or no marks in any combination is permitted with no individual case exceeding 20-percent. These tolerances may be applied as a moving average when performing online sampling or as a lot average while performing stationary lot gradings. If more than 50% of the image or letter(s) is missing, the symbol is illegible. Stamped eggs are not classified as stains or dirty. They are to be graded without regard to marking. An official grade cannot be assigned to a mixed lot of eggs that contains individually marked and unmarked eggs. If requested, the lot may be graded for all factors except ink stains. Lot averages may be shown on the certificate. The section "Official Grade and Size" shall state "No AZDA Grade." The following statement shall also be placed in the "Remarks" section: "Lot contains marked and unmarked eggs. Eggs graded for all factors except ink stains." Individual eggs with ink blotches or smears from dating devices are to be classified as stains or dirty, depending on the intensity and/or area of the stain [guidance not clear]. Inks used in marking individual eggs which will be officially graded are to be approved by the Administrator prior to their use. The request for approval should be accompanied with a copy of the ink formula, the name of the product, and the name and address of the manufacturer.

2. Laser etching (marking eggs). The use of a laser etching system to mark information is subject to joint review by the Food and Drug Administration (food safety impact evaluation) and AZDA (quality impact evaluation). Only approved laser etching systems may be used to identify eggs to be officially graded and identified with an AZDA grademark. The amount of the shell surface available for laser etching and the information etched on the shell is subject to review by the resident grader and the supervisor. The information etched on the shell must not interfere with the graders ability to evaluate the quality attributes of the egg.

3. When an individual egg is marked, whether an applied ink or laser etched, the information must be consistent with the information on the label, for example, any marketing claims, production code, or packer identity. If this information is not consistent throughout the lot, the eggs are not eligible to be identified with an AZDA grademark.