Sec. 10.15.03.05. Eggs and Egg Products

A. The person-in-charge shall ensure that:

(1) Only clean, whole Grade A or higher grade eggs with shell intact and without cracks, or pasteurized eggs or egg products, are used;

(2) An invoice or other equivalent record is obtained from the supplier for each delivery of shell eggs;

(3) The invoice or equivalent record required in §A(2) of this regulation contains the following information written in English:

(a) Name and address of the seller and buyer;

(b) Date of delivery;

(c) Grade and size of eggs delivered; and

(d) Quantity of eggs sold in number by grade and size;

(4) When loose eggs are distributed, offered for sale, or sold directly to a consumer in Maryland:

(a) A daily record is maintained that shows the lot designation of the shell eggs for each packer;

(b) A placard is displayed that:

(i) Is legible and printed in block letters not less than 3/8 inch in height;

(ii) Is a minimum size of 4-1/4 inches by 6 inches;

(iii) Plainly and conspicuously displays the eggs' grade term, size (weight), and lot designation; and

(iv) Is placed on or near the eggs; and

(c) Egg cartons are labeled in accordance with §A(9), (10), and (12) of this regulation;

(5) All egg invoices, daily records, or other equivalent records are kept on file for a minimum of 90 days;

(6) Upon request, the approving authority is granted access to copy and verify, at any reasonable time, records relating to the sale and purchase of shell eggs;

(7) Except as provided in Regulation .10 of this chapter, only pasteurized eggs and egg products are used when serving eggs or foods prepared with eggs that have not been heated adequately to kill Salmonella Enteritidis;

(8) All shell eggs accepted for delivery, used, or provided to the consumer are:

(a) Produced by flocks that are certified to be in compliance with COMAR 15.11.11;

(b) Supplied by a registered packer as provided in COMAR 15.04.01; and

(c) Pasteurized or otherwise heat-treated to kill Salmonella Enteriditis if Salmonella Enteriditis is isolated from a flock in Maryland as determined by testing procedures contained in COMAR 15.11.11;

(9) All egg cartons of shell eggs accepted for delivery, used, or provided to the consumer are labeled on the principal display or information panel with:

(a) Legible stamping in permanent ink;

(b) The following information at a minimum type size of 1/16 of an inch:

(i) The packer's or distributor's name and address;

(ii) The packer's registration number;

(iii) The lot designation of the eggs; and

(iv) A safe handling statement with the words "safe handling instructions" in bold capital letters and the statement "To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly." set off in a box by hairlines;

(c) The following information at a minimum type size of 1/4 of an inch:

(i) The identity of the product as eggs; and

(ii) The word "grade" and the grade term (AA or A) and size (weight) of the eggs; and

(d) The net quantity of eggs in weight or numerical count in at least the minimum type size permitted based on the space available for labeling as set forth in §B of this regulation, with the minimum type size measurement determined by:

(i) The height of type of printing by measuring the height of the lower case letter "o" or its equivalent when mixed upper and lower case letters are used; or

(ii) The height of the upper case letters when only upper case letters are used;

(10) If the safe handling statement does not appear on the principal display panel or the front information panel, a separate statement that eggs be kept refrigerated is printed on either the principal display panel or the front of the information panel;

(11) The same information in at least the same minimum type size that is required on an egg carton is printed on the top of an egg case or any side of an egg case; and

(12) The grade term and size (weight) on an egg carton is not abbreviated.

B. Table 1.

Minimum type size	Area of Principal Display Panel
1/16 inch	5 square inches or less
1/8 inch	More than 5 square inches but not more than 25 square inches
3/16 inch	More than 25 square inches but not more than 100 square inches
1/4 inch	More than 100 square inches but not more than 400 square inches
1/2 inch	Over 400 square inches