Pou 2-5  (4-03)




Egg
Products

National Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.


Released April 7, 2003, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
For information on "Egg Products" call Tom Kruchten at (202) 690-4870,
office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.



     
              Shell Eggs Broken Down 4 Percent

Shell eggs broken totaled 133 million dozen during February 2003, down 4
percent from February a year ago.

February 2003 contained 20 weekdays, four Saturdays and one holiday, the
same as February 2002.

During calendar year 2003, shell eggs broken totaled 286 million dozen,
down 2 percent from the 292 million dozen broken in 2002.  Total edible
liquid from eggs broken in 2003 was 362 million pounds, down 2 percent
from 2002.

Data presented in this report were compiled from inspection reports of
the Food Safety and Inspection Service.  The best available data at time
of publication were used.


 




                    Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected,
                         United States, February 2002-03
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :           Period            :  2003
             Inspected Item             :-----------------------------: as % of
                                        :   Feb 2002   :   Feb 2003   :  2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :   ----- 1,000 Dozen ----      Percent
                                        :
Shell Eggs Broken                       :   138,474        132,501         96
                                        :   ---- 1,000 Pounds ----      Percent
                                        :
Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken    :
  Whole                                 :   106,375        106,553        100
  White                                 :    45,648         39,995         88
  Yolk                                  :    24,955         22,225         89
                                        :
  Total                                 :   176,978        168,773         95
                                        :
Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken  :    17,471         16,320         93
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




              Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected, Cumulative,
                    United States, January-February, 2002-03
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :           Period            :  2003
             Inspected Item             :-----------------------------: as % of
                                        :Jan-Feb, 2002 :Jan-Feb, 2003 :  2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :   ----- 1,000 Dozen ----      Percent
                                        :
Shell Eggs Broken                       :   291,500        286,185         98
                                        :   ---- 1,000 Pounds ----      Percent
                                        :
Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken    :
  Whole                                 :   220,480        224,550        102
  White                                 :    97,479         88,516         91
  Yolk                                  :    52,315         48,542         93
                                        :
  Total                                 :   370,274        361,608         98
                                        :
Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken  :    37,673         34,704         92
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Data Sources:  Data for the "Egg Products" report are obtained from
Grading Volume Reports (Form PY-240) completed by inspectors of the Egg
Products Inspection Division, Food Safety and Inspection  Service (FSIS),
USDA.  FSIS is responsible for administering a mandatory inspection
program for egg products under the authority of the Egg Products
Inspection Act of 1970.  The Act and its associated Regulations require
that all commercial egg breaking and processing plants operate under
continuous USDA supervision.  Reports are currently received from
approximately 75 plants.  Plant management provides monthly volume data
to the resident USDA inspector at the applicable plant.

Procedures and Reliability:  FSIS reviews plant data for accuracy and
completeness and provides NASS a data file.  NASS reviews the data for
unusual values.  The egg products estimates are based on a census of all
commercial egg breaking and processing plants, therefore, there are no
statistical estimation and sampling errors.



The next "Egg Products" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on May 6,
2003.


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