Egg Grades

Eggs provide us with a lot of protein and is low in calories, so it's a great choice when eating eggs as a protein in your meal or as an added protein source. You'll notice at the grocery store that there are a lot of different egg labels and gradings. What do they mean? Today, I'll discuss egg grades. In the future, I'll go over other labels like what cage-free and omega-3 eggs mean.

When shopping for eggs, you'll see cartons labelled with Grade AA and Grade A. Egg grading gives us an idea of the egg's quality to help us make the best decision for the kind of eggs we need. Grading of exterior/interior egg quality and for size and weight is voluntary and completed by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). If companies want their eggs graded, they will pay the USDA to grade for them. Once graded, you'll see the grade integrated into a USDA shield symbol. IF companies do not pay for this service, eggs will be monitored for quality by the state and will just be labeled as "Grade A."

Grade AA

Grade AA Eggs, Cooked - Firm and centered egg yolk and egg whites do not spread far.

Grade AA are the highest quality of eggs and the freshest ones you'll find in a grocery store. The yolk is firm, centered, and has a height, and the egg whites will be thick and won't spread too far from the yolk. P resentation-wise, Grade AA eggs are ideal for eggs needed for presentation such as sunny-side up eggs, eggs benedict, or making boiled eggs with perfectly centered egg yolks when cut in half. Per USDA, getting a carton of Grade AA eggs must contain at least 87% Grade AA eggs, meaning egg packers are allowed to fill 13% of the carton with Grades A or B eggs. So in a carton of a 12 Grade AA eggs, 1 or 2 eggs may be of a lower grade. In terms of appearance, shells of Grade AA eggs should be spotless, no blood spots, and free of dirt.

Grade A

Grade A Eggs, Cooked - Watery and runny egg yolks and whites. Spreads more.

Grade A eggs are similar to Grade AA based on the exterior shell, but it's not as fresh, so the egg whites and yolks will be thinner, more watery, and will spread more. Grade A eggs will be a better option when preparing or using eggs for dishes where the appearance does not matter. It's good for baking and scrambling.

Grade B

Grade B eggs are not sold in grocery stores, although they may be in some of your egg cartons since 13% of the eggs are allowed to be of a lesser grade and quality. They are the least fresh, may have defects on the shell (stains, spots, etc), the egg shape may be abnormal, the yolk and whites are watery and spreads out greatly, and are sold primarily to mass producers who need liquid and dried eggs.

Selecting Egg Grades

Now that you know the differences between the grades, think about what you are using your eggs for. If you're just cooking for yourself, making scrambled eggs, or needing eggs for baking, Grade A would be a great choice. If presentation matters in your cooking like if you're using it for food photography or making sunny-side up eggs or eggs benedict, go for Grade AA.

​Happy cooking!

​​Jane the Dietitian

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