Pou 2-5  (1-09)

Egg
Products

National Agricultural Statistics Service
USDA
Washington, D.C.

Released January 30, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For 
information on "Egg Products" call Bruce Boess at (202) 720-4447, office 
hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Shell Eggs Broken Up 2 Percent from Last Year

Shell eggs broken totaled 163 million dozen during December 2008, up 
2 percent from December a year ago, and 2 percent above the 160 million 
broken last month.

December 2008 contained 23 weekdays (including one holiday) and 4 Saturdays.  
December 2007 contained 21 weekdays (including one holiday) and 5 Saturdays. 

During calendar year 2008 through December, shell eggs broken totaled 
2.05 billion dozen, up 3 percent from the comparable period in 2007.  To 
date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2008 was 
2.68 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 2007.

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

                    Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected,                   
                         United States,  December 2008                         
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :        :        :        :Percent of 
                                        :  Dec   :  Nov   :  Dec   :-----------
             Inspected Item             :  2007  :2008 1/ :  2008  : Dec : Nov 
                                        :        :        :        :2007 :2008 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :------ 1,000 Dozen ------    Percent  
                                        :                                      
Shell Eggs Broken                       :158,820  159,602  162,708   102   102 
                                        :------ 1,000 Pounds -----    Percent  
                                        :                                      
Edible Product from Shell Eggs Broken   :                                      
  Whole                                 :137,277  136,991  136,361    99   100 
  White                                 : 44,296   44,289   48,458   109   109 
  Yolk                                  : 24,385   26,964   25,079   103    93 
                                        :                                      
  Total                                 :205,958  208,244  209,898   102   101 
                                        :                                      
Inedible Product from Shell Eggs Broken : 18,431   18,209   17,982    98    99 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Revised.                                                                    

              Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected, Cumulative,              
                    United States, January-December, 2007-08                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :           Period            :  2008   
             Inspected Item             :-----------------------------: as % of 
                                        :Jan-Dec, 2007 :Jan-Dec, 2008 :  2007   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        :  ------ 1,000 Dozen -----     Percent 
                                        :                                       
Shell Eggs Broken                       :  1,996,904      2,047,776       103   
                                        :  ----- 1,000 Pounds -----     Percent 
                                        :                                       
Edible Product from Shell Eggs Broken   :                                       
  Whole                                 :  1,683,547      1,709,414       102   
  White                                 :    601,653        631,157       105   
  Yolk                                  :    320,482        334,529       104   
                                        :                                       
  Total                                 :  2,605,682      2,675,100       103   
                                        :                                       
Inedible Product from Shell Eggs Broken :    228,070        231,629       102   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      Reliability of Egg Product Estimates                      

Data Sources:  Data for the "Egg Products" report are obtained from Egg 
Products Volume Reports (FSIS Form 5200-11) completed by inspectors of 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 60 plants in the United 
States.  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.

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