21 JANUARY
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
89
2. DEFINITIONS:
(a) “Quality” means the inherent factors which determine the relative degree of excellence of the egg.
(b) “Yolk Colour Range” means range of yolk colour as prescribed by the Egg Marketing Authority, i.e., Yolk Colour Tester.
(c) “Haugh Test” is a method accepted by the Authority to establish albumen strength.
3. QUALITY STANDARDS OF INDIVIDUAL SHELL EGGS:
(a) Top Quality
(1) Shell—clean, unbroken, practically normal.
(2) Air cell—not in excess of 3/16 in. in depth, practically regular.
(3) White—clear, reasonably firm with a minimum of 66 units by the Haugh Test.
(4) Yolk—practically free from defects, outline only fairly well defined. Yolk colour falling within the range of “AP”, “A”, “AD” on the “Yolk Colour Tester”.
(b) Commercial Quality
(1) Shell—moderately stained, unbroken, slightly abnormal. Washed clean. Body check.
(2) Air cell—may be over 3/16 in. in depth, practically regular.
(3) White—clear, slightly weak.
(4) Yolk—may appear slightly enlarged and slightly flattened, and may show definite but not serious defects, outline well defined.
(c) Undergrade
(1) Shell may be stained, a blind check, cracked, abnormal, or carry foreign matter up to 1/2 of the shell surface.
(2) Air cell—may be over 3/16 in. in depth, may be free or bubbly.
(3) White—weak and watery, may show blood clots and spots (not due to germ development), which are on the surface of the yolk or floating in the white, but not showing diffusion of blood in the white surrounding them.
(4) Yolk—may appear dark, enlarged, and flattened, and show serious defects that do not render the egg inedible, outline plainly visible.
(d) No Value (Inedible)
(1) Incubator reject (or incubator clear)—an egg that has been subjected to incubation, either by natural or artificial means, at any time.
(2) An egg that is cooked, frozen, contaminated, containing a bloody white or unsightly foreign material, dirty shell, or a shell that is smashed or broken so that the contents are leaking—holed eggs.
(3) An egg described as being a white rot, mixed rot (addled egg), sour egg, egg with green white, egg with stuck yolk, mouldy egg, musty egg, egg showing germ development or blood ring.
(4) Where the maximum diameter of the blood or meat spot or the aggregate diameter of blood or meat spots exceeds 1/8 in. in diameter.
(5) Any egg otherwise classed as unfit for human consumption.
4. DESCRIPTIVE TERMS:
(a) Shell
(1) An egg may be considered clean if it has only stains or discolorations which are not of sufficient number or intensity to detract from the generally clean appearance of the egg, and which in the aggregate or localised, do not cover more than 1/2 of the shell surface. Only shells of eggs which have been produced clean or drycleaned eggs can be classified as clean, excepting that where adhering dirt and foreign matter is 1/8 in. in diameter or less and does not otherwise detract from the general appearance and cleanliness of the egg shell.
(2) Moderately stained—an egg which has staining which is not prominent in intensity, and which in the aggregate or localised, covers more than 1/2 but not more than one-quarter of the shell surface.
(3) Stained—free from foreign material but has staining which is not prominent in intensity, and which in the aggregate or localised covers more than one-quarter of the shell surface, or any staining of prominent intensity (staining which readily detracts from the appearance of the egg), which in the aggregate or localised, covers not more than one-quarter of the shell surface.
(4) Dirty—staining of prominent intensity (staining which readily detracts from the appearance of the egg), which in the aggregate or localised, covers more than one-quarter of the shell surface; adhering foreign material such as egg yolk, white, or shell, nesting material, manure, soil, or any other similar substance adhering to the shell and covering more than 1/2 of shell surface.
(5) Practically normal—a shell that approximates the usual shape and that is of good even texture and strength, and is free from rough areas or thin spots. Slight ridges and rough areas that do not readily detract from the appearance of the egg and do not materially affect the texture and strength of the shell are permitted.
(6) Slightly abnormal—a shell that may be somewhat unusual in shape or that may be slightly faulty in texture or strength. It may show definite ridges but no pronounced thin spots or rough areas.
(7) Abnormal—a shell that may be decidedly misshapen, or faulty in texture or strength, or that may show pronounced ridges, thin spots, or rough areas.
(8) Cracked—a shell which is cracked, but the shell membranes are intact and contents of egg are not leaking.
(9) Blind check—a shell that under a candling light exhibits a spider web effect of the shell material.
(10) Body check—a shell that was checked or cracked while being formed, but repaired in the bird’s body.
(b) Air Cell
(1) Depth of air cell (air space between shell membranes, normally at large end of the egg)—the greatest distance between the top of the cell and an imaginary plane passing through the egg where the lower edge of the cell touches the shell.
(2) Movement of air cell—the distance the air cell moves away from its normal position when the egg, with the air cell uppermost, is twirled.
(3) Practically regular—an air cell that maintains a practically fixed position in the egg and shows a fairly even outline with not more than 1/4 in. movement in any direction as egg is rotated.
(4) Free air cell—an air cell that moves freely toward the uppermost point in the egg as the egg is rotated slowly.
(5) Bubbly air cell—a ruptured air cell resulting in one or more separate air bubbles, usually floating beneath the main air cell.
(c) White
(1) Clear—a white that is free from discolorations or from any foreign bodies floating in it. (Prominent chalazaes should not be confused with foreign bodies such as spots or blood clots.)
(2) Reasonably firm—a white that is sufficiently thick or viscous to permit only a fairly well defined yolk outline as the egg is twirled. With respect to a broken-out egg, a reasonably firm white has a Haugh unit of 66 or higher, when measured at a temperature of between 45° and 60° F.
(3) Slightly weak—a white that is lacking in thickness or viscosity to an extent that causes the yolk outline to appear well defined when the egg is twirled. With respect to a broken-out egg, a slightly weak white has a Haugh unit value of 46 to 65 when measured at a temperature between 45° and 60° F.
(4) Weak and watery—a white that is thin and generally lacking in viscosity. A weak and watery white permits the yolk to approach the shell closely, thus causing the yolk outline to appear plainly visible and dark when the egg is twirled. With respect to a broken-out egg, a weak and watery white has a Haugh unit value lower than 46, when measured at a temperature between 45° and 60° F.
(5) Blood clots and spots (not due to germ development)—blood clots and spots on the surface of the yolk or floating in the white. These clots or spots may have lost their characteristic red colour and appear as small spots or foreign material commonly referred to as meat spots and when up to 1/8 in. in diameter may be included in “Under Grade”.
(6) Blood clots and spots (due to germ development)—blood clots and spots due to germ development found on the yolk. Such eggs are classified as inedible.
(7) Bloody white—white which has blood diffused through it. Such eggs are classified as inedible.