# Commission Regulation (EC) No 589/2008 of 23 June 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 as regards marketing standards for eggs, Article 2: Quality characteristics of eggs

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. Class A eggs shall have the following quality characteristics:
(a) shell and cuticle: normal shape, clean and undamaged;
(b) air space: height not exceeding 6 mm, stationary; however, for eggs to be marketed as ‘extra’, it may not exceed 4 mm;
(c) yolk: visible on candling as a shadow only, without clearly discernible outline, slightly mobile upon turning the egg, and returning to a central position;
(d) white: clear, translucent;
(e) germ: imperceptible development;
(f) foreign matter: not permissible;
(g) foreign smell: not permissible.
2. Class A eggs shall not be washed or cleaned, before or after grading ....
3. Class A eggs shall not be treated for preservation or chilled in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially maintained at less than 5 °C. However, eggs which have been kept at a temperature below 5 °C during transport for not more than 24 hours or on retail premises or in annexes thereto for not more than 72 hours shall not be considered as chilled.
4. Class B eggs shall be eggs which do not meet the quality characteristics provided for in paragraph 1. Class A eggs which no longer have those characteristics may be downgraded to Class B.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2008/589/article/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2008-589/article-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.