Egg Inspections

What do we do?

The Egg Products Control program is part of the Arizona Department of Agriculture in the Animal Services Division. The program is responsible for the inspection of all shell eggs and egg products sold in the state and is financed primarily by a fee to licensed dealers, which is levied on every case (30 dozen) of eggs sold in the state. The program has no General Fund monies.

Egg products are also subject to a fee. Licensed egg dealers pay fees on a quarterly basis. These dealers are subject to periodic compliance inspections. All locations where eggs are sold or stored in the state are subject to inspections. These locations include retailers, dealers, packers, cold storage facilities, bakeries, and institutions. Restaurants are visited on a complaint basis.

The inspections verify that the products meet quality, weight, labeling and refrigeration requirements of the Arizona Revised Statutes.

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Nest Run Egg Producers: These small producers of eggs, by statute, are limited to 750 dozens of nest run eggs (unwashed and ungraded) per year. They are required to register with the Department of Agriculture. There is no fee for this. In addition to registering, they are required to properly label their eggs and keep them under refrigeration at 45 degrees F or less. Nest Run Producers are prohibited from using trademarked or trade name cartons belonging to other companies.

If you would like to view or download the Nest Run production requirements, click this link.

The program staffs and administers all USDA Agricultural Marketing service programs, pertaining to eggs, egg products, and poultry products under a cooperative state trust agreement. This includes a resident grading program at packing plants, regulatory functions and administration of the Egg Products Inspection Act and the Agricultural Marketing act. Staff also receive poultry and egg products purchased for school districts under the USDA School lunch program, providing destination inspection services of refrigerated trailers and rail cars.