Farmers should be familiar with the NC Egg Law. The Egg Law addresses labelling, standards, sanitation, etc. Eggs that are for sale must be clean (not necessarily washed, but clean) and must be refrigerated to 45F or less after gathering. The entire Egg Laws applies to farmers selling over 30 dozen a week including grading and labelling cartons with the grade. Eggs are graded based on federal quality standards. See the United States Standards, Grades, and Weight classes for guidelines.
Exemptions
Farmers selling less than 30 dozen a week must clean and refrigerate their eggs. They must include their name/address and the words “1 dozen ungraded eggs” in bold-faced type at least 3/8 in.
Egg Cartons
The Egg Law does not require that eggs be sold in new cartons. Re-used cartons are permitted but must be “clean, unbroken and free of foreign odor”. Any imprinted information must be marked through.
Label Requirements
The carton label must include the word “eggs”, name/address of the producer, the number of eggs, consumer grade and applicable size (based on weight). The eggs should be labeled as “mixed size” if they are not separated according to size. The eggs can only be labeled as “fresh” if they meet the Grade A or AA standard.
Signage
Any signage must include the price and grade. If the farmer is exempt and selling ungraded eggs, then “ungraded eggs” must be on the signage.
Sales to Restaurants and Grocery Retailers
The supplier must furnish an invoice showing the producers name/address, the word “eggs”, quantity, size, and grade. This invoice must be kept at the restaurant/store for a minimum of 30 days. This applies to Farmers’ Market sales. Farmers must keep a running log of total number of eggs sold each market day.