Regulatory requirements: Processed egg products

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1.0 Introduction

While the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) include a set of general requirements that apply to a broad range of foods, there are some requirements that apply only to certain foods. This document provides an overview of the regulatory requirements specific to processed egg products found in Part 6, Division 4 of the SFCR.

2.0 Application

The requirements specific to processed egg products in Part 6, Division 4 of the SFCR apply to processed egg products that

3.0 Processing and treating eggs and processed egg products

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: Section 102

Rationale

Processed egg products that are derived from high quality shell eggs will ensure their wholesomeness and reduce the risk of injury to human health.

What this means for your food business

To help you understand these requirements, specific criteria and examples are outlined below. The examples are not exhaustive but help illustrate the intent of the requirement and offer examples of what you could do to comply. In addition, key terms throughout the text have been hyperlinked to the SFCR glossary.

Section 102: Processing and treating eggs and processed egg products

  • As a licence holder, you only process and treat eggs if they:
    • are edible
    • do not have an abnormal odour
    • are not mouldy
    • have not been in an incubator
    • do not have an internal defect, other than a particle of the oviduct or a blood spot neither or which is larger than 3 mm in diameter
    • are not leakersFootnote 1, except if they become leakers while being transferred to the egg-breaking equipment and they are prepared in a manner that prevents the contamination of the processed egg product
    • are free from dirt and other foreign matter

Examples:

  • You discard inedible eggs. Inedible eggs include rotted eggs, mouldy eggs, eggs with unacceptable internal defects, as well all eggs that were rejected during grading.
  • Egg shells are free of dirt and other foreign matter, such as bird feces, prior to processing and treating.
  • You have a system in place to make sure that any eggs that do not meet the requirements are not used for preparing processed egg products. This may include:
    • Removing and discarding any grossly contaminated, dirty or mouldy eggs before they are loaded on the candling machine.
    • Once eggs are loaded on the machine, you make sure that ineligible eggs are removed, either manually (workers) or automatically (machine).
    • If mouldy eggs are found during processing and treatment, you:
      • stop operations and remove the affected lot
      • wash and sanitize all affected equipment prior to re-starting operations
      • segregate the affected eggs
  • As a licence holder, you only process and treat processed egg products if they are derived from eggs that meet the conditions outlined above.

4.0 Temperature

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: Section 103

Rationale

Chilling processed eggs products to 4°C or less is crucial in minimizing the chance for bacterial growth and decreases the risk of injury to human health.

What this means for your food business

To help you understand these requirements, specific criteria are outlined below. In addition, key terms throughout the text have been hyperlinked to the SFCR glossary.

Section 103: Temperature

  • The following processed egg products that are further processed or treated in an establishment that is identified in a licence and that are to be sent or conveyed from one province to another or that are to be exported must have been chilled to 4°C or less before they leave the establishment:
    • liquid whole egg
    • liquid yolk
    • liquid egg white or liquid albumen
    • liquid whole egg mix
    • liquid yolk mix
    • liquid egg product
  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency may authorize you, in writing, to remove a processed egg product from the establishment without it being chilled to 4°C or less if they are of the opinion that there is no risk to human health.

5.0 Import of processed egg products

Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: Section 104

Rationale

Processed egg products have the potential to contain hazards, such as Salmonella and Listeria, which could pose a risk of injury to human health. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) sets requirements for the import of processed egg products to reduce this risk by ensuring that the processed egg products imported into Canada meet the same requirements as those prepared in Canada.

What this means for your food business

To help you understand this requirement, specific criteria and examples are outlined below. The examples are not exhaustive but help illustrate the intent of the requirement and offer examples of what you could do to comply. In addition, key terms throughout the text have been hyperlinked to the SFCR glossary.

Section 104: Foreign official document

  • If you have a licence to import, you may import a processed egg product if you provide the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspector with an official document, issued by the responsible government official in the exporting country, stating that the processed egg product meets the requirements of the Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
  • The official document is in a form approved by the CFIA.

Example:

  • The official document is an export certificate signed and issued by the foreign country that has been pre-approved by the CFIA.
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