Pou 2-5  (4-04)




Egg
Products

National Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.


Released April 7, 2004, 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 Up 7 Percent

Shell eggs broken totaled 142 million dozen during February 2004, up 7
percent from February a year ago.

February 2004 contained 29 days due to leap year.  February 2004 also
contained 20 weekdays including 1 holiday, and four Saturdays, the same
as February 2003.

During calendar year 2004, shell eggs broken totaled 288 million dozen,
up 1 percent from the 286 million dozen broken in 2003.  Total edible
liquid from eggs broken in 2004 was 2.25 million pounds, down slightly
from 2003.

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 2003-04
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :           Period            :  2004
             Inspected Item             :-----------------------------: as % of
                                        :   Feb 2003   :   Feb 2004   :  2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :   ----- 1,000 Dozen ----      Percent
                                        :
Shell Eggs Broken                       :   132,501        142,203        107
                                        :   ---- 1,000 Pounds ----      Percent
                                        :
Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken    :
  Whole                                 :   106,553        109,623        103
  White                                 :    39,995         46,337        116
  Yolk                                  :    22,225         26,145        118
                                        :
  Total                                 :   168,773        182,105        108
                                        :
Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken  :    16,320         16,090         99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




              Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected, Cumulative,
                    United States, January-February, 2003-04
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :           Period            :  2004
             Inspected Item             :-----------------------------: as % of
                                        :Jan-Feb, 2003 :Jan-Feb, 2004 :  2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :   ----- 1,000 Dozen ----      Percent
                                        :
Shell Eggs Broken                       :   286,185        287,713        101
                                        :   ---- 1,000 Pounds ----      Percent
                                        :
Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken    :
  Whole                                 :   224,550        224,505        100
  White                                 :    88,516         93,117        105
  Yolk                                  :    48,542         51,548        106
                                        :
  Total                                 :   361,608        369,170        102
                                        :
Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken  :    34,704         32,907         95
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




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,
2004.


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