Not all eggs make the grade……or the display case. If you’ve ever stood in the supermarket’s dairy aisle comparing egg cartons, you’ve probably noticed something: Nearly every package is labeled Grade A or Grade AA. That raises an obvious question: Are eggs like batteries, sold in ever-increasing letter categories? What’s the difference between them all? Well, you’ll never come across a Grace C or D egg, but Grade B are very real and still produced today under the same federal grading system. Yet, most shoppers will go their entire lives without ever spotting a carton of them in the dairy aisle. Inspectors at the USDA assess both the outside and inside of the egg, including cleanliness and shape, the size of the air cell inside the egg, the firmness of the egg, and the appearance and position of the yolk. They do this by shining a bright light through the shell to reveal internal details. Here’s how that shakes out in grading:
- • Grade AA: These are the highest-quality eggs. The whites are thick and firm, the yolks are high and round, and the shells are clean and unbroken.
- • Grade A: The eggs are very similar to AA, but the whites are slightly less firm. These are the most commonly sold eggs in grocery stores.
- • Grade B: These are lower in visual quality and appearance. The whites are thinner, the yolks are flatter and the shells may be stained or irregular (though not cracked).
As to why you never see Grade B eggs in grocery stores, the short answer is because they’re not typically sold in cartons like other eggs. They’re diverted away from retail shelves and used in processed egg products, and a big reason is because of their looks. They don’t look fancy when they’re cracked. They simply spread, and the yolk doesn’t really have that old-school dome shape people expect. There’s also a practical angle: Grade B eggs are, well, a bit floppy. So, if you’re frying or poaching, Grade B eggs won’t hold their shape. Don’t worry, they’re absolutely safe to eat. Grading is about quality, not safety. Grade B have the same protein and nutrient content as Grade AA. In other words, Grade B eggs may be the “ugly ducklings” of the egg world, but they’re still perfectly usable.
