Arriving at the store, almost every person is faced with the question of how to choose the right delicious fresh egg for breakfast. On the shelves are usually represented by several types of eggs. Labeling eggs will help you figure out which egg will benefit.
According to the requirements of Russian law, all eggs produced by the poultry farm must be labeled accordingly. A stamp is placed on each egg on the side.
Marking
Marking consists of two parts. The first sign is the age of the product (maximum shelf life), the second sign of the egg marking is the category (egg size).
The first sign of the marking is Russian letters, the second is a number.
Types of eggs
Two types of eggs stand out : diet and table.
Table eggs are marked with the letter “C”. Marking on them is most often done with blue or purple ink. The absence of marking on the egg is permissible if the shelf life is applied to the packaging itself (packaging) for storing and carrying eggs. The only condition: the expiration date should not be inside the container itself, it should be placed in a prominent place. Table eggs are stored at room temperature for up to 25 days; they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months.
The marking of the dietary egg is the letter “D”. A stamp is applied in red ink. A dietary egg is not a special kind or variety of eggs, as some buyers suggest. It is distinguished from the dining room by exceptional freshness. Such an egg will not be able to tolerate temperatures below zero and must be sold within seven days. The day the chicken laid the egg is not taken into account. Due to the short shelf life and implementation, diet eggs always remain fresh. A distinctive feature is the possibility of eating dietary eggs raw. The protein in such an egg has a dense structure, and the yolk is dense, does not hang, the air sac inside the egg is about four millimeters in height.
Note: dietary fresh eggs are always difficult to peel.
Egg Categories
The second part in the labeling of the eggs is the number or letter designating the category or size of the egg.
According to state standards, it is customary to distinguish categories marked “1”, “2”, “3”, “B”, “O”:
- "3". The smallest egg of the third category, its weight ranges from 35 to 45 grams.
- “2” is the second category of eggs ranging in size from 45 to 55 grams.
- “1” is the first category of eggs with a weight of 55 to 65 grams.
- “O” is the perfect egg. Relatively large, its weight can be from 65 to 75 grams.
- “B” is the highest category of giant eggs. Their approximate size starts at 75 grams.
Sometimes you can see the inscription "organic" on the packaging of eggs. This does not apply to the Russian classification and is printed by manufacturers to attract the attention of buyers to the fact that chickens that laid an egg fed on environmentally friendly feed. The state does not control this information.
Example
What does marking on eggs mean? This is a table egg of the highest category. That is, this egg can be stored for up to 25 days indoors and has a weight of more than 75 grams. By the same principle, the marking “D2” will mean that it has a shelf life of no more than a week, and the size ranges from 45-55 grams.
Labeling of Imported Eggs
Often on the shelves, especially in border cities, you can see the markings "S" - "XL". What does it mean? The fact is that most countries in Europe and the world use category designations in Latin, and the number in the marking indicates the country in which the egg was produced.
So, according to international standards, “1” means that the country of production is Belgium, “2” is Germany, “3” is France, and the six are the Netherlands.
Latin letters have the following meanings:
- “S” is a small egg less than 53 grams in size;
- "M" - an egg whose weight can be 53-63 grams;
- “L” are eggs with a weight of 63 to 73 grams;
- “XL” is the largest egg, comparable to the Russian highest category. Its weight starts at 73 grams.
The default cookbooks are eggs of the third category or eggs of size “S”.