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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada regulations define three quality grades that apply to eggs for sale to customers. These are:
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| Grade A - sold at grocery stores |
| Grade B - used mostly in bakeries |
| Grade C - processed into pasterized product |
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Only Grade A eggs are sized according to the weight of each egg.
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| Jumbo - at least 70 g |
| Extra Large - at least 63 g |
| Large - at least 56 g |
| Medium - at least 49 g |
| Small - at least 42 G |
| Pee Wee - less than 42 g |
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Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors monitor graded eggs to make sure they pass rigid standards.
Blood Spots
Blood spots are occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny spots are not harmful and are accidentally caused by blood or tissue rupture during formation of the egg. Less than 1% of eggs produced have blood spots.
Mass candling methods reveal most blood spots, and those eggs are removed, but, even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. If desired, the spot can be removed with the tip of a clean knife prior to cooking.
Yolk Colour
This is determined by the diet of the hen and does not affect the taste, nutritive value or quality of the egg. Hens fed a larger portion of wheat in relation to other components of the diet produce eggs with pale yolks. A diet containing a high proportion of yellow corn, for example, will result in eggs with much darker yolks. The choice of grains depend primarily on the availability of these crops.
Shell Colour
May vary from white to brown, depending upon the strain of the hen. There is no difference in taste or nutritive value between a brown-shelled and white-shelled egg.
Egg White Colour
Sometimes the egg white may have a greenish colour due to the presence of riboflavin (vitamin B12). Carbon dioxide in a very fresh egg may cause the white to be cloudy. In both cases, the egg is perfectly wholesome. |
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