What size are XL eggs in the EU?

Class A eggs of 73 g and over. L is 63–73 g, M is 53–63 g and S is under 53 g.

How long is the shelf life of EU table eggs?

The best-before date can be no later than 28 days after laying. Ask suppliers for the laying or packing date of each lot.

Is 'free-range' defined the same way everywhere?

No. In the US the USDA definition applies to eggs in USDA grademarked packages; the EU defines farming methods in its marketing standards. Ask for the standard and the certificate behind any claim.

Do I need a health certificate for table eggs?

Usually yes when eggs cross a border into Great Britain, Canada or Singapore. Check the destination authority's current conditions for your origin and shipment date.

Specification guide · Shell table eggs

Shell table eggs: how to specify an import or wholesale order

Short answer

Specify shell table eggs by grade, weight class, production system, pack and destination rules. In the EU, Class A eggs come in weight classes XL, L, M and S and carry a best-before date no later than 28 days after laying. In the US, USDA grades are AA, A and B. Free-range, cage-free and organic only count when a defined standard and a certificate back them.

HS 0407.21

Shell eggs, liquid egg and egg powder compared

The same hen eggs, three different purchases. Pick the form first; it decides the rules, the transport and who buys it.

	Shell table eggs	Liquid egg	Egg powder
Customs code (HS)	0407.21	0408.19 / 0408.99 (yolk, whole egg); 3502.19 (other egg albumin)	0408.11 / 0408.91 (yolk, whole egg); 3502.11 for dried albumen
Typical buyers	Supermarkets, wholesalers, foodservice	Bakeries, foodservice, food manufacturers	Food manufacturers, bakeries, traders
Storage basis	Clean, dry, minimal temperature changes	Chilled or frozen after treatment	Dry, cool storage as stated in the specification
Key specification	Grade, weight class, production system, pack	Product type, treatment, temperature, pack	Product type, function, moisture, pack
Shelf life	EU: best-before no later than 28 days after laying	Supplier-stated per product; examples up to 15 months frozen	Supplier-stated per product; examples from 12 to 36 months

What to put in the specification

Grade: EU: Class A or Class B under Regulation 2023/2465. US: USDA grade AA, A or B; the final grade is set by the lowest-rated quality factor. Canada sends Grade C, nest-run and ungraded eggs to processing only.[2 , 8 , 18]
Weight class: EU Class A: XL 73 g and over, L 63–73 g, M 53–63 g, S under 53 g. US classes run Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small and Peewee; take the minimum weights from the AMS standard itself.[2 , 7]
Production system: State the claim (for example free-range, barn, cage-free or organic), the standard that defines it in the destination market and the certificate you will receive.[2 , 9 , 3]
Marking and pack: EU packs show the packing-centre code, and Class A eggs carry a producer code. Singapore accepts the farm identifier on each egg or on the retail pack. State the pack size and whether you need retail or bulk packs.[2 , 13 , 25]
Volume and lots: Give eggs per week or month, the number of loads and whether each lot must come from a single farm — Singapore requires one farm per consignment.[22]
Shelf life and dating: EU: best-before no later than 28 days after laying. Ask for the laying or packing date on each lot and the remaining shelf life on arrival.[2]

Production-system claims: what is defined

Free-range and cage-free (US)Verified: For eggs in USDA grademarked packages, cage-free hens can roam indoors with food and water, and free-range hens also have continuous outdoor access during the laying cycle. Pasture-raised needs current certification by a recognised body. These definitions apply to the USDA grading programme, not to every US label.[9]
Organic (EU)Verified: EU organic rules set feed, husbandry and outdoor-access conditions and prohibit cages. Organic certification does not replace import health eligibility.[3]
Free-range and barn (EU)Unresolved: EU marketing standards define the farming-method terms. The exact outdoor-area and housing-order conditions in the current consolidated text were not confirmed for this guide — read them in the regulation before writing them into a contract.[2]

Veterinary and food-safety documents

Veterinary or health certificate: Most destinations ask for a certificate from the exporting country's competent authority: Great Britain for EU eggs, Canada, and Singapore (dated within seven days of export).[13 , 18 , 23]
Eligible origin and farm: Check that the origin country — and, where required, the farm or packing centre — is listed by the destination for table eggs on the shipment date.[6 , 22 , 18]
Salmonella and disease conditions: Singapore requires the source farm to be tested free from Salmonella Enteritidis and the country to meet its avian-influenza conditions.[23 , 27]
Import notification and licence: Great Britain: IPAFFS notification at least one working day before arrival. Canada: a licensed importer and an import permit. Singapore: an importer licence.[13 , 18 , 22]

Storage and transport

Temperature: Codex asks for temperature fluctuations to be kept as small as possible. Singapore requires reefer temperatures that keep eggs sanitary and fresh. In the US, the FDA Egg Rule sets refrigeration for eggs from farms with 3,000 or more hens.[1 , 23 , 10]
Handling: Eggs should be handled at every stage in a way that avoids damage, keeps moisture off the shell and prevents contamination.[1]

Country-specific caveats

European Union: Imports from outside the EU need a listed country and establishment and, under the marketing rules, equivalence or the prescribed origin and production-method indications.[6 , 2]
Great Britain: EU eggs are medium risk: health certificate, Class A or B stated, producer code on Class A eggs.[13 , 14]
Canada: Prepackaged eggs must say 'Product of' plus the country of origin; eggs are under import controls and tariff-rate quotas.[18 , 20]
Singapore: Approved farm only, one farm per consignment, farm identifier on each egg or retail pack.[22 , 25]

Questions buyers ask

What size are XL eggs in the EU?: Class A eggs of 73 g and over. L is 63–73 g, M is 53–63 g and S is under 53 g.
How long is the shelf life of EU table eggs?: The best-before date can be no later than 28 days after laying. Ask suppliers for the laying or packing date of each lot.
Is 'free-range' defined the same way everywhere?: No. In the US the USDA definition applies to eggs in USDA grademarked packages; the EU defines farming methods in its marketing standards. Ask for the standard and the certificate behind any claim.
Do I need a health certificate for table eggs?: Usually yes when eggs cross a border into Great Britain, Canada or Singapore. Check the destination authority's current conditions for your origin and shipment date.

Send a structured egg sourcing request

The request form asks for the points below, so have them ready:

Product and form: shell table eggs, liquid, frozen or dried
Specification: grade and weight class, or product type and treatment
Production-system claim and the certificate that proves it
Volume, frequency and pack
Destination, delivery point and Incoterm
Documents the destination requires

Requests start at USD 250,000 total requested value — an annual programme, a season or a single lot.

The buyer service is free. Every brief gets human review and trade checks, then the HatchMatch team contacts suitable suppliers on your behalf; there is no direct buyer–supplier contact. HatchMatch aims to reply within two business days and does not promise supplier responses, stock or prices.

Start the egg sourcing request

Availability and trade depend on applicable law and permits. HatchMatch is not a producer, importer, exporter, seller or regulatory approver. Buyers and suppliers are responsible for correct details and documents; staff make reasonable checks, not professional advice or authority approval. General information only — verify with the authority or a qualified adviser.

Elsewhere in the group

Buying other food commodities as well? Global B2B Group is the group's buyer-first commodity marketplace, with commodity requests from USD 250,000. Global B2B Group commodity sourcing
Planning cold rooms or refrigerated storage for eggs or egg products? ColdMatch Group covers commercial cold storage. ColdMatch Group

These are plain links: HatchMatch does not pass your details to another platform.

Sources

Sources checked: October 22, 2026. Each source links to the official page or document. Rules change and depend on product, origin, plant and shipment date: check the current text with the authority before relying on it.