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Here’s how to identify Canadian eggs

We know Canadians love locally produced food. In fact, 94% of Canadians express they prefer dairy, eggs, chicken and turkey products to be produced locally in Canada under supply management..1

The good news is that the vast majority of eggs sold in Canada are produced in Canada. There are more than 1,200 egg farmers in all 10 provinces and the Northwest Territories producing the fresh, local, high-quality eggs Canadians want and enjoy.

Here is how to recognize made-in-Canada eggs:

Proud to be Canadian

Canadian egg farmers produce the vast majority of eggs sold in Canada, and our farmers are proud to produce fresh, local eggs for Canadians to enjoy. If you are looking for made-in-Canada eggs, be sure to take a moment to look closely at the carton. All Canadian eggs sold in stores will feature the Canada Grade A symbol on the carton, and many also feature a “Product of Canada” label.

Because of obligations under international trade agreements, Canada imports some eggs. Imported eggs are labeled with the country of origin on the egg carton.

What is Canada Grade A?

The Canada Grade A symbol on the carton means eggs meet the Canada Grade A standard required by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This means the eggs were graded at a Canadian Food Inspection Agency certified Canadian grading facility and have a clean and uncracked shell, a centered yolk, a firm white and a small air cell.

In some rare cases, the Canada Grade A symbol might be present on a carton of eggs that is labeled as USDA or a product of the United States. This means imported eggs were graded in Canada and packaged by a Canadian grader.

The Egg Quality Assurance™ certification mark

The Egg Quality Assurance™ certification mark (or EQA® for short) launched in 2019 and will soon appear on egg cartons, egg products, restaurant menus and more. In fact, many have already added the mark to their products with more to come in the future.

This mark makes it easier to identify made-in-Canada eggs. It highlights the incredible quality of Canadian eggs, produced to rigorous standards for food safety and animal care. In fact, all eggs produced on Canadian farms meet these standards, even if the EQA® mark is not present on the packaging.

1 Abacus Data. (2023, December 5). 9 in 10 Canadians Say It’s Important to Them that the Dairy, Eggs, Chicken and Turkey They Buy Come From Canada [Survey data]. abacusdata.ca