In Russia, it is customary to mark chicken eggs with a combination of the letter "D" or "C" and a sign indicating the category of the product. What do these signs on the shell mean and what does the product category depend on?
What is the difference between dietary and table eggs
The first sign in the marking of an egg - the letter "D" or "C" means that it belongs either to dietary ("D") foods, or to table foods ("C").
Eggs are considered dietary within a week after the chicken has laid them - accordingly, the period for their sale cannot exceed seven days. They are marked with a red stamp and the date of sorting is mandatory (it is from this time that the "age" of the product begins).
Eggs marked "D" are recommended for baby and dietetic food, and they are especially tasty (it is believed that it is best to eat eggs 3-4 days after laying). However, such products can be found infrequently in stores, especially in those regions where poultry farming is not very developed: after all, by the time dietary eggs reach the consumer, they can already move into the category of "canteens".
Table eggs are marked with a blue “C” stamp and are sold within 25 days from the date of laying, and the date of sorting on the shell is no longer required (provided this information is on the product packaging).
What are the categories of chicken eggs
By size, chicken eggs are divided into 5 categories, and are marked with numbers from 1 to 3, or the letters "O" or "B".
Marking "3" - eggs of the third category, the smallest. Their "estimated" average weight is 40 grams, the weight of an individual egg can range from 35 to 44.9 grams. Small eggs are usually laid by young chickens, they are very tasty, but they rarely appear on store shelves - customers do not like such a "trifle".
Marking "2" - the second category, eggs weighing from 45 to 55.9 grams. The average weight of an egg in the second category is 50 grams. And, if you subtract the weight of the shell (which accounts for about 12% of the mass of the egg), such an egg will weigh from 40 to 50 grams. It is these eggs that are considered to be "average" in recipes (the estimated weight of the "contents" of an egg in domestic cooking is taken as 40 grams).
Marking "1" - eggs of the first category, the weight of which can range from 55 to 64.9 grams, and the average weight in accordance with the standards is 60 grams. Eggs in this weight category are often found on store shelves and are considered the most balanced in composition. It is they who are most often called "average" by modern housewives, sharing culinary recipes with each other.
The “O” marking means “selected”. The average weight of selected category eggs is 70 grams (from 65 to 74.9). Such eggs already give the impression of being large and are in demand among buyers - especially given the fact that, in terms of the weight of the "content", it is usually a little more profitable to purchase them than eggs of the first category.
Marking "B" is placed on eggs of the highest category - their weight cannot be lower than 75 grams (the upper limit is not limited, the average value is 80 grams). Such eggs are the most expensive, but it should be borne in mind that, excluding the shell, one egg marked "B" is practically equal in weight to two of its "brothers" from the second or third category.
Eggs are categorized only by weight and are not affected by any other factors. Both dietary and table eggs can belong to any of the size categories; the shell of the egg can be either white or brown. Eggs fortified with iodine, selenium or other micronutrients also do not have to be of the select or superior category: they can be of any size.
Thus, the marking "C2" means that we have a table egg of the second category, "DO" is a dietary selected egg, "CB" is a table egg of the highest category, and so on.
What other information can be on the eggshell
The stamp with which eggs are marked may contain information not only about the degree of freshness and the category of the product, but also additional information. Most often these are:
- sorting date and expiry date,
- the name of the poultry farm,
- manufacturer's trademark.
If the egg shell is not marked
In accordance with Russian GOSTs, marking can be applied either to the shell of each egg, or to the packaging with them. But only on condition that the label on the box with eggs is placed in such a way that it is impossible to open the package without damaging the label (this makes it possible to exclude the reuse of the package and the transfer of eggs from one box to another).
Therefore, if the eggs are in a box sealed with a label, their shells may not have any "insignia", and this is not a violation of the rules.
