​The Egg Inspection program is responsible for enforcement of the Maryland Egg Law enacted to provide Maryland consumers with wholesome, high quality eggs. The law also provides fair trading practices for the egg industry as all sellers of eggs must comply with the requirements.

All wholesalers and egg packers selling eggs in Maryland are required to register with MDA annually. Packers are required to submit information that qualifies their flock as meeting a Salmonella enteritidis (SE) risk reduction requirement such as originating from an National Poultry Improvement Plan SE monitored flock or participation in an approved Egg Quality Assurance Plan. The registration also serves as a method for traceability in the event of an egg related food borne illness such as Salmonella enteritidis.

Inspections are performed at the wholesale, food service and retail level to ensure eggs sold in our state originate from an approved packer and meet the standards established for quality, size, refrigeration, microbial and physical contamination, labeling and record keeping. Portions of the labeling, record keeping and registration requirements were developed to provide traceability in the event any problems with the eggs. Eggs found to be out of compliance with the established standards are removed from sale and violation notices are issued to the responsible person. Repeated or severe violations of the Maryland Egg Law can result in civil penalties.

Contact: 
Food Quality Assurance Program
410-841-5769