Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 21 - Agriculture and Land Stewardship Department
Chapter 36 - Egg Handlers
Rule 21-36.1 - Definitions

"Capable of use as human food" means any egg or egg product, unless it is denatured or otherwise identified as required by federal regulation to deter its use as human food.

"Check" means an egg that has a broken shell or crack in the shell but has its membranes intact and contents not leaking.

"Department" means the department of agriculture and land stewardship.

"Dirty" means an egg that has a shell that is unbroken and has adhering dirt or foreign material, prominent stains or moderate stains covering more than 1/32 of the shell surface if localized or 1/16 of the shell surface if scattered.

"Egg handler " or"handler " means any person who engages in any business in Cornmerce which involves buying or selling any eggs (as a poultry producer or otherwise), or processing any egg products, or otherwise using any eggs in the preparation of human food. An egg handler does not include a food establishment or home food establishment if either establishment obtains eggs from a licensed egg handler or supplier which meets standards referred to in rule 481-31.2 (137F). Producers who sell eggs produced exclusively from their own flocks directly to egg handlers or to consumer customers are exempt from regulation as egg handlers.

"Inedible " means any egg of the following description: black rot, yellow rot, white rot, mixed rot (addled egg), sour egg, egg with a green white, egg with a stuck yolk, moldy egg, musty egg, egg showing a blood ring, and an egg containing any embryo chick (at or beyond the blood ring stage), and any egg that is adulterated as such term is defined pursuant to the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

"Leaker " means an egg that has a crack or break in the shell and shell membranes to the extent that the egg contents are exposed or are exuding or free to exude through the shell.

"License holder " means an individual, corporation, partnership, governmental unit, association or any other entity to whom a license was issued pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 196.

"Loss " means an egg that is unfit for human food because the egg is smashed or broken so that its contents are leaking; or overheated, frozen, or contaminated; or an incubator reject; or because it contains a bloody white, large meat spots, a large quantity of blood, or other foreign material.

"Official plant" means any establishment at which inspection of the processing of egg products is maintained by the department under the authority of Iowa Code chapter 196 or by the United States Department of Agriculture under the authority of the federal Egg Products Inspection Act.

"Restricted egg" means any check, dirty, incubator reject, inedible, leaker, or loss.