EGG GRADING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24402, 13 September 1940, Page 6

EGG GRADING

TO OPERATE NEXT MONDAY FOUR FIRMS PARTICIPATING .*. _ ■ i SORTING, INSPECTING AND PACKING The grading of eggs in Otago under the recent Government regulations will come, into operation, on Monday next, when four different grades of eggs will be on sale to "the public. The four local merchants accredited by the Government as official agents—Messrs Scott Bros., Fraser and Co., Lindsay and Co., and Reilly’s Central Produce Mart —have agreed to operate the scheme and supply eggs to grocers from Monday, and it is stated that retailers will sell ungraded eggs at their own risk after., that date. The four grades are grouped according to weight and comprise heavy, standard, medium and' pullet‘grades. Heavy eggs will be sold under a light blue label, standard, under red. rhedium under black, and pullet eggs under green. It is probable that the grades will vary in price by twopence a grade. The standard grade will probably be the most popular and the majority of eggs will fall into this group. Eggs will not be stamped, but grocers will” be required to sell them strictly to grade. Some of the Arms, have- already-made a start with grading eggs, and, as difficulty has been experienced in obtaining machines on account of import restrictions. the work is’being performed by hand. Girls have been trained and fairly simple grading devices have been constructed. The -grading apparatus consists of carefully measured circular - holes lit by strong electricity. Girls take several eggs at a time in .their hands and try them out in the three holes, which. ili.ye.a fairlyaccur■ate - estimate' ;iighf shoifes whether - they r-greu blood. spots, in' them. -T ‘ - After passing. through the holes or being graded as pullets’ .eggs, the eggs are nut through a. padded .slide . into trays on the other side of a partition where they are packed into crates divided, yrjth .cardboard ' containers. Any eggs appearing underweight - are placed On accurate scales hefore. pack:ing-. The [Q n each .. supplier’s ; them the different fferent grades is a big one' and entails a great deal of extra work for i the agents. ,' ’ T:'. Of 100 crates graded yesterday by one firm. 20 crates were in the heavy grade, 10 in the-medium,. 70.. iff the standard grade, and 'only ' 9J: dozen eggs fell into the pullet class. No- doubt standard eggs will be most numerous. There were _nQ,bad eggs among the 100 crates, but there were-numerous eggs containing blood spots,’which showuip plainly"in the strong light. These eggs are discarded, but cracked .eggs . are used for egg .pulp. When, the -eggs are packed in their labelled crates, each crate is weighed 'and- h-check xan thus be. made .on. the accuracy of She grading. ' ■ 1 ‘L. One firm exnects to grade about 90 crates a day and another aboht. 150, which shows how many eggs will be dealt with each day in Dunedin when grading is in full swing.