Pou 2-5 (5-06) Egg Products National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 8, 2006, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Egg Products" call Darin Jantzi at (202) 720-3570, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Shell Eggs Broken Down 5 Percent Shell eggs broken totaled 170 million dozen during March 2006, down 5 percent from March a year ago, but 7 percent above the 159 million broken last month. March 2006 contained 23 weekdays and four Saturdays, the same as March 2005. During calendar year 2006 through March, shell eggs broken totaled 495 million dozen, up slightly from the comparable period in 2005. Total edible liquid from eggs broken in 2006 was 645 million pounds, virtually unchanged from 2005. 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, March 2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : :Percent of : Mar : Feb : Mar :----------- Inspected Item : 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : Mar : Feb : : : :2005 :2006 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :------ 1,000 Dozen ------ Percent : Shell Eggs Broken :179,957 159,074 170,101 95 107 : : :------ 1,000 Pounds ----- Percent : Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken : Whole :144,948 130,815 144,256 100 110 White : 59,133 49,007 48,454 82 99 Yolk : 31,841 27,998 28,287 89 101 : Total :235,922 207,820 220,997 94 106 : Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken : 20,828 17,893 19,380 93 108 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shell Eggs Broken: Federally Inspected, Cumulative, United States, January-March, 2005-06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Period : 2006 Inspected Item :-----------------------------: as % of :Jan-Mar, 2005 :Jan-Mar, 2006 : 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- 1,000 Dozen ---- Percent : Shell Eggs Broken : 494,554 494,722 100 : : : ---- 1,000 Pounds ---- Percent : Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken : Whole : 398,093 409,345 103 White : 159,216 149,314 94 Yolk : 86,986 86,031 99 : Total : 644,295 644,690 100 : Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken : 57,807 55,676 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Revision Policy: Revisions are generally the result of late reports received by FSIS from plants. Revisions for the previous month and year-to-date totals are published in each monthly release. 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. Subscription Information To subscribe to NASS reports or to order single copies, call toll free, 1-800-999-6779. You may write: ERS/NASS, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161.