(a) Eggs classified as checks, dirties, incubator rejects, inedibles, leakers, or loss shall be disposed of by one of the following methods at point and time of segregation:

(1) By shipping directly or indirectly to an official egg products processing plant for segregation and processing, if a check or dirty and if labeled in accordance with §57.800. Inedible and loss eggs shall not be intermingled in the same container with checks and dirties.

(2) By destruction and identification in a manner approved by the Administrator.

(i) Loss and inedible eggs shall be crushed and shall be placed in a container containing a sufficient amount of approved denaturant or decharacterant, such as FD&C brown, blue, black, or green colors, meat and fish by-products, grain and milling by-products, or any other substance, as approved by the Administrator, that will accomplish the purposes of this section. The approved denaturant or decharacterant substance shall be dispersed through the product in amounts sufficient to give the product a distinctive appearance or odor.

(ii) The denatured and decharacterized product shall be labeled as required in §§57.840 and 57.860.

(3) By processing for industrial use or for animal food. Such product shall be denatured or decharacterized in accordance with §57.720(a)(2) and identified as provided in §§57.840 and 57.860, or handled in accordance with other procedures approved by the Administrator. Notwithstanding the foregoing, product which was produced under official supervision and transported for industrial use or animal food need not be denatured or decharacterized if it is shipped under Government seal and received by an inspector or grader as defined in this part.

(4) By coloring the shells of loss and inedible eggs with a sufficient amount of FD&C color to give a distinct appearance, or applying a substance that will penetrate the shell and decharacterize the egg meat. Except that, lots of eggs containing significant percentages of blood spots or meat spots, but no other types of loss or inedible eggs may be shipped directly to official egg products processing plants, provided they are conspicuously labeled with the name and address of the shipper and the wording “Spots—For Processing Only In Official Egg Products Processing Plants.”

(b) Eggs which are packed for the ultimate consumer and which have been found to exceed the tolerance for restricted eggs permitted in the official standards for U.S. Consumer Grade B shall be identified as required in §§57.800 and 57.860 and shall be shipped directly or indirectly:

(1) To an official egg products processing plant for proper segregation and processing; or

(2) Be regraded so that they comply with the official standards; or

(3) Used as other than human food.

(c) Records shall be maintained as provided in §57.200 to assure proper disposition.

[36 FR 9814, May 28, 1971; 36 FR 10841, June 4, 1971; 37 FR 6659, Apr. 1, 1972; 40 FR 20059, May 8, 1975. Redesignated at 42 FR 32514, June 27, 1977, and further redesignated at 46 FR 63203, Dec. 31, 1981, as amended at 47 FR 745, Jan. 7, 1982; 60 FR 49170, Sept. 21, 1995. Redesignated at 63 FR 69970, Dec. 17, 1998, as amended at 69 FR 57168, Sept. 24, 2004]