Egg candling program & candler license

WHAT IS IN AN EGG?
1. The yolk--This constitutes about 31 percent of the total egg weight.
2. The albumen (egg white)--This has four distinct layers and constitutes about 58 percent of the egg weight. Water is its major component. The layers include the chalaziferous layer (which is continuous with the chalazae that hold the yolk in place), the inner thin layer, the firm or thick layer and the outer thin layer.
3. Shell membranes--These are tough and fibrous, composed chiefly of a protein similar to that which is in hair and feathers. There is an outer shell membrane and an inner shell membrane, each are only about 24 tenthousandths of an inch thick. These separate to form the air cell.
4. The shell--This is made up of three layers and is approximately 11 percent of the total egg weight.

FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA EGGS
Georgia's poultry-egg industry is the state's most valuable
sector, which has increased dramatically over several decades
Eggs are Georgia's third largest commodity and the state has
led the nation in broiler production for the past 28 consecutive years
The annual Farm Gate Value of eggs is $780 million dollars,
which makes up 5.7 percent of Georgia's total Farm Gate Value for all commodities
Poultry-egg production and processing (combined) contrib-
uted to $25 billion total economic impact for Georgia in 2010, and the industry represents nearly 109,000 jobs
More than two-thirds of counties across the State of Georgia
are now involved in poultry-egg production

Egg Candling Program & Candler License
Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Safety
Division

State of Georgia

Eggs

are one

of nature's most perfectly balanced foods, containing all the

protein, vitamins (except vitamin C) and minerals essential

for good health. Today's large egg contains only one moder-

ate amount of fat, with about 5 grams in the egg yolk (1.5

grams saturated), 185 mg of cholesterol and 70 calories.

Eggs have been considered the standard against which all other protein foods are measured because their protein composition is so ideal. Eggs are considered a complete protein because they contain all eight essential amino acids, or the "building blocks" of protein. Essential amino acids must be provided by the food we eat because our body cannot produce them. While providing 6 grams of the highest quality protein, each egg contains at least 10 percent of the U.S. RDA.

Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., SW Atlanta, GA 30334
Main Phone: 404-656-3627 Egg Candling Information: 229-386-3489
Website: www.agr.georgia.gov Twitter @GDAFoodSafety

19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, SW Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-3672
www.agr.georgia.gov Twitter @GDAFoodSafety

Egg Candling Classes:
Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Egg Candling Inspectors offer classes approximately four times a year across the state to provide Georgia residents with the information and training necessary to obtain an egg candling certificate and/or license. Class dates will be posted on the GDA website: agr.georgia.gov/ agriculture-calendar.aspx and attendees must register in advance.
Classes are conducted in North Georgia at various locations during the year; for more information or to register for a class please call the Gainesville Office at 770-535-5955.
Classes are conducted in Middle and South Georgia at various locations during the year; for more information or to register for a class please call the Tifton Office at 229-3863489.
Each class lasts about four hours, including one hour of classroom instruction time, followed by a written examination and hands-on candling examination. A list of the District Offices are
available online at: agr.georgia.gov/ districtoffices.aspx.

Egg Production & Sales:
If you plan to sell eggs to individuals or at a farmers market, an egg candling certificate is required. This public benefit of the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) requires completion of secure and verifiable information, to verify citizenship/immigration status.*
If you want to distribute eggs to a grocery store, bakery or restaurant, your candling facilities will have to be licensed by the GDA's Food Safety Division. Farms with over 3,000 laying hens who distribute eggs are subject to FDA regulations (21 CFR 118) and must register their farm with the FDA. Individuals wishing to produce and offer for sale shell eggs in Georgia shall comply with The Georgia Egg Law (Chapter 2, Title 26, Article 8, Section 260-273) which states: "Each egg candler and grader, of eggs offered for sale, shall obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture at no cost, after demonstrating to the satisfaction of the department his capability and qualifications as an egg candler and grader."
Under the USDA Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR Part 57), the classes are intended for producers with an annual egg production from a flock of 3,000 or less and sales limited to no more than 30 dozen eggs.
The license can be obtained from a GDA representative by successfully taking and passing a written examination and a candling examination administered by the GDA representative. The recommended study materials for the written examination and candling examination include:
The Georgia Egg Law, which can be obtained from the Georgia Department of Agriculture at no charge, or online at www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/gacode/index.htm (Title 26); and the USDA Federal Egg-Grading Manual, AH-75 which can be obtained from USDA-AMS Poultry Programs-STOP 0259, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0259 (202-720-3506) at a cost of $5.25 per manual, or online at www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/resources/pypubs.htm.
**All "public benefits" are defined in Georgia law O.C.G.A. 5036-1. During all egg candling classes, the egg candler will be required to complete a notarized affidavit and provide one form of acceptable documentation as defined in the law before the certificate will be issued. As directed by law, GDA will utilize the Federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

40-3-1.01: Open Dating on Egg Cases & Cartons
All eggs which are sold, offered for sale or stored for sale at retail or wholesale shall use an "Open Date" to express the packing date or expiration date.
(a) Definitions. 1. Open Date: Means the use of letters (for the month) together with number(s) (for the day of the month). 2. Pack Date: Means the date the eggs were washed, candled and packed. 3. Expiration Date: Means the last date the eggs shall be sold at retail or wholesale.
(b) Manner of Expressing the Open Date: Open dating shall consist of a combination of three letters (for the month abbreviation) and number(s) for the day of the month. Example: JUN 10.
(c) Manner of Expressing the Pack Date: A pack date shall be the use of an Open Date (as defined in 40-3-1-.01 (b) of these Regulations) with no words, numbers, or letters preceding or following the Open Date. Example: JUN 10
(d) Manner of Expressing the Expiration Date: An Expiration Date shall be the use of an Open Date (as defined in 40-3-1.01(b) of these Regulations) preceded by the abbreviation "EXP"
(e) (Example: EXP JUN 10) or the use of an Open Date (as defined in 40-3-1-.01(b) of these Regulations) preceded by the term "Sell By," (Example: Sell By JUN 10). The Expiration Date shall not exceed forty-five (45) days from the date the eggs were washed, candled and packed.
(f) Prohibited Act: The following act and the causing thereof are hereby prohibited. 1. Eggs are not to be sold or offered for sale at retail or wholesale after the expiration date. 2. Eggs are not to be sold or offered for sale that do not meet the U.S. Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs Part 56, Subpart C. Paragraphs 56.216 and 56.217 established pursuant to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.