Ariz. Admin. Code § R3-2-902 - Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Eggs; Pasteurized In-Shell Eggs

A. Standards for Eggs. All standards, grades, and weight classes of quality for chicken eggs in the shell shall meet the grades for eggs as prescribed in AMS 56, United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs, revised as of July 20, 2000. This material is incorporated by reference, does not include any later amendments or editions, and is on file with the Department at 1688 W. Adams St., Phoenix, AZ 85007 and the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Poultry Programs, STOP 0259, Room 3944-South, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-0259, or online at www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/eggs. "AMS" means Agricultural Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

B. Standards for Pasteurized In-Shell Eggs. It is unlawful for a producer, producer dealer, dealer, or retailer to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packed for human consumption unless both of the following conditions are met:

1. Quality and weight classes:

a. The eggs used to produce pasteurized in-shell eggs shall meet Consumer Grades A or AA and Weight Classes for Eggs of subsection (A).

b. At destination:

i. Pasteurized in-shell eggs shall contain no more than 7 percent (9 percent for Jumbo size) 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 are not permitted.

ii. In lots of two or more cases, no individual case may exceed 10 percent Checks.

c. Pasteurized in-shell eggs shall meet the weight classes as indicated in Table I Pasteurized in-shell eggs shall meet the weight classes as indicated in Table I. Weight Classes for Pasteurized In-Shell Eggs.

2. Labeling requirements. Except as provided in subdivision (j), it is unlawful for an egg producer, producer dealer, dealer or retailer to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packed for human consumption unless each container intended for sale to the ultimate consumer is labeled on one outside top, side, or end with all of the following:

a. The consumer container is conspicuously labeled "KEEP REFRIGERATED" or with words of similar meaning as approved by the department. Consumer container labeling that complies with the safe handling instructions required by Section 101.17 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations shall be deemed to comply with this paragraph.

b. The consumer container is conspicuously labeled "produced from" in conjunction with the appropriate consumer grade in letters no smaller than 1/2 size of the labeled consumer grade. The use of the consumer grade without the qualifier "produced from" is not permitted.

c. The words "Best By", or "Use by" immediately followed by the month and day in bold type. Months shall be abbreviated Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov or Dec. The "Use by", or "Best before" date shall not exceed 75 days from the date on which the pasteurized in-shell eggs were pasteurized, excluding the date of pasteurization. Processors of in-shell eggs that subject the eggs to the pasteurization process shall establish a sell-by date by completion of an appropriate shelf stability study that includes public health and safety criteria. The processor shall retain the study on file at the processing plant and make it available to the department upon request.

d. If the pasteurized in-shell eggs are repacked, the original "Best By" or "Use by" date shall apply.

e. A Julian pack date which is the consecutive day of the year on which the pasteurized in-shell eggs were pasteurized.

f. The identification number of the plant of origin.

g. A conspicuous identification of the eggs as "pasteurized."

h. All state and federal labeling requirements.

i. This section does not apply to pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for export.

j. Paragraph B. does not apply to pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for interstate commerce or pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for military sales if exported to a state or federal agency that requires a different format for the sell-by or best-if-used-by date on pasteurized in-shell eggs, and the processor is utilizing that format.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R3-2-902

Former Rule 2; Amended as an emergency effective November 18, 1981, pursuant to A.R.S. § 41-1003, valid for only 90 days (Supp. 81-6). Former Section R3-6-02 amended as an emergency now adopted and amended as a permanent rule effective February 19, 1982. Section renumbered as R3-2-902 (Supp. 82-1). Section R3-6-102 renumbered to R3-2-902 (Supp. 91-4). Section repealed, new Section adopted effective July 13, 1995 (Supp. 95-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 9 A.A.R. 2089, effective August 2, 2003 (Supp. 03-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 14 A.A.R. 892, effective May 3, 2008 (Supp. 08-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 781, effective 6/8/2020.