No. 48/1939:

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE (EGGS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, No. 2, 1939.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE (EGGS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, No. 2, 1939.

I, SÉAMAS Ó RIAIN, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Acts, 1924 to 1930, and of every and any other power me in this behalf enabling, do by this Order make the following Regulations:—

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) (Amendment) Regulations, No. 2, 1939.

2. In these Regulations—

the expression " the Principal Regulations " means the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) Regulations, 1931 (Statutory Rules and Orders, No. 23 of 1931), and every word and expression to which a particular meaning is given by those Regulations has in these Regulations the meaning so given to it;

the expression " the Regulations of 1938 " means the Agricultural Produce (Eggs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1938, (Statutory Rules and Orders, No. 282 of 1938);

the expression " registered premises " means premises registered in a register kept by the Minister in pursuance of the Acts.

3. The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to these Regulations.

CLASSIFICATION OF EGGS.

4.—(1) In these Regulations—

the expression " fresh eggs " when used in relation to hen eggs means eggs which have not been preserved by any process and have the following characteristics:—

Yolk : central and translucent, or faintly but not clearly outlined ;

White : translucent and firm ;

Shell : strong and sound, clean, free from stain, and unwashed;

the expression " fresh eggs, " when used in relation to duck eggs, means eggs which have the following characteristics :—

Yolk : visible, but moving slowly ;

White : clear and firm ;

Shell : strong and sound, clean, and free from stain ;

the expression " second quality eggs " means eggs which are not fresh eggs, but have the following characteristics :—

Yolk : visible, moving freely, but clear of the side ;

White : translucent, though it may be weak ;

Shell : strong and sound, clean, free from stain and, in the case of hen eggs, unwashed ;

the expression " cold stored eggs " means eggs preserved by means of artificial refrigeration, which have the following characteristics :—

Yolk : moderately visible and not adhering to the shell ;

Whites : clear and firm, not weak and watery ;

Shell : strong and sound, free from stain, and unwashed ;

the expression " sterilised eggs " means eggs preserved by storage in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide gas, which have the following characteristics :—

Yolk : moderately visible and not adhering to the shell ;

White : clear and firm ;

Shell : strong and sound, clean, free from stain and unwashed ;

the expression " pickled eggs " means eggs preserved by immersion in a saturated solution of lime, waterglass or other preservative, which have the following characteristics :—

Yolk : moderately visible ;

White: clear and firm, not weak and watery ;

Shell : strong and sound, clean, and free from stain.

(2) Hen eggs or duck eggs shall not be deemed, for the purpose of the foregoing paragraph of this Article, to be fresh eggs if—

(a) the contents are opaque or black, or

(b) the white is dull, cloudy or streaky, or the yolk cannot be distinguished, or

(c) the yolk is distinctly dark in appearance, flattened in shape and floating near the shell, or

(d) the yolk is anywhere in contact with the shell.

5. Article 5 of the Principal Regulations, as amended by subsequent Regulations, is hereby revoked and in lieu thereof the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:—

GRADING

(1) Eggs sold, or offered or consigned, for sale, or exported, on or from premises registered in the Register of Exporters; shall, before being so sold, offered or consigned for sale, or exported, be graded into the following classes :—

Fresh Eggs :

" Specials, "

" Standard, "

" Selected, "

" Pullets. "

Preserved Eggs :

" Specials Cold Stored, "

" Standard Cold Stored, "

" Selected Cold Stored, "

" Pullets Cold Stored, "

" Specials Sterilised, "

" Standard Sterilised, "

" Selected Sterilised, "

" Pullets Sterilised, "

" Specials Pickled, "

" Standard Pickled, "

" Selected Pickled, "

" Pullets Pickled. "

Second Quality Eggs :

" Second Quality, "

" Second Quality Cold Stored, "

" Second Quality Sterilised, "

" Second Quality Pickled. "

Duck Eggs.

" Ducks. "

(2) Fresh Eggs.—" Specials " shall mean hen eggs so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 2 ozs. 3 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 17 lb.

" Standard " shall mean hen eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 15 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 15½ lb.

" Selected " shall mean hen eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 10z. 12 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 14 lb.

" Pullets " shall mean hen eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 9 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 12 lb.

(3) Preserved Eggs.—" Specials Cold Stored " shall mean cold stored eggs so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 2 ozs. 3 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 17 lb.

" Standard Cold Stored " shall mean cold stored eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 15 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 15½ lb.

" Selected Cold Stored " shall mean cold stored eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 12 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 14 lb.

" Pullets Cold Stored " shall mean cold stored eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 9 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 12 lb.

" Specials Sterilised " shall mean sterilised eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 2 ozs. 3 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 17 lb.

" Standard Sterilised " shall mean sterilised eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 15 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 15½ lb.

" Selected Sterilised " shall mean sterilised eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 12 drams., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 14 lb.

" Pullets Sterilised " shall mean sterilised eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 9 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 12 lb.

" Specials Pickled " shall mean pickled eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 2 ozs. 3 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 17 lb.

" Standard Pickled " shall mean pickled eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 15 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 15½ lb.

" Selected Pickled " shall mean pickled eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 12 drms., and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 14 lb.

" Pullets Pickled " shall mean pickled eggs of reasonably uniform size so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 9 drms. and that the weight of each great hundred eggs shall not be less than 12 lb.

(4) Second Quality Eggs.—" Second Quality " eggs shall be so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 11 drms.

" Second Quality Cold Stored " shall mean cold stored eggs of second quality, and so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 11 drms.

" Second Quality Sterilised " shall mean sterilised eggs of second quality and so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 11 drms.

" Second Quality Pickled " shall mean pickled eggs of second quality and so selected that no individual egg shall be included which weighs less than 1 oz. 11 drms.

(5) Duck Eggs.—" Ducks " shall mean duck eggs.

(6) Article 6 of the Principal Regulations is hereby revoked, and, in lieu thereof, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say :—

MARKING OF EGGS.

6.—(1) All eggs except pickled eggs intended for export to a place of final destination in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, or the Isle of Man shall (subject to the provisions of this Article) be marked before being packed prior to export, or prior to being cold stored or preserved by chemical storage on registered premises, with the following marks, that is to say:—

(a) with a mark (in these Regulations referred to as the origin mark) consisting of the word "ÉIRE" and the word "IRISH" in capital letters one twelfth of one inch high, and

(b) with a mark (in these Regulations referred to as the code mark) consisting of letters or figures or a combination thereof not less than one-tenth of one inch high to indicate the period during which such eggs were tested on those premises.

(2) The particular mark to be used as the Code mark shall be—

(a) in respect of the period beginning on the 6th day of March, 1939, and ending on the 8th day of March, 1939, the figure 4 (four);

(b) in respect of the period beginning on the 9th day of March, 1939, and ending on the 11th day of March, 1939, the figure 1 (one).

(3) The origin mark and the code mark shall be enclosed in a circle not less than one half inch in diameter in the manner indicated in the following pattern, namely :—

(4) All second quality eggs, whether they are or are not cold stored or chemically preserved, shall in addition to being marked with the origin mark and the code mark in the manner prescribed by the foregoing paragraphs of this Article be marked with a mark (in these Regulations referred to as the second quality mark) consisting of the words "second quality" in letters not less than one sixteenth of one inch high enclosed in a circle not less than one half inch in diameter.

(5) All pickled eggs shall be marked—

(a) with the origin mark as prescribed by paragraphs (1) and (3) of this Article, but not with the code mark, and

(b) with a mark consisting of the word "preserved" in letters not less than one sixteenth of one inch high, enclosed in a circle not less than one half-inch in diameter, and

(c) if such eggs are of second quality, with the second quality mark.

(6) All marks with which eggs are by this Article required to be marked—

(a) shall be applied in a conspicuous manner, in durable ink, to the shell of the egg, and

(b) shall be clearly and sharply defined, and

(c) unless otherwise indicated by these Regulations, shall be separated from each other and from any other mark on the egg.

(7) The ink in which the origin mark and the code mark shall be applied to all eggs to which under this Article they are applicable shall—

(a) in the case of cold stored, sterilised or pickled eggs, be always black ink, and

(b) in the case of fresh eggs and second quality eggs (other than second quality eggs which are cold stored, sterilised or pickled) packed during the period commencing on the 1st September in each year and ending on the 14th March in the year next following, be red ink, and in the case of such eggs when packed during the rest of the year, be black ink."

7. Article 8 of the Principal Regulations is hereby revoked and, in lieu thereof, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:—

MARKING OF PACKAGES.

8.—(1) Every package of eggs exported from premises registered in the Register of Exporters shall bear the following marks, that is to say:—

(a) A mark (in this Article referred to as the grade mark) consisting of whichever of the following expressions is appropriate to the grade of the eggs contained in the package:—

Specials

Standard

Selected

Pullets

Specials Cold Stored

Standard Cold Stored

Selected Cold Stored

Pullets Cold Stored

Specials Sterilised

Standard Sterilised

Selected Sterilised

Pullets Sterilised

Specials Pickled

Standard Pickled

Selected Pickled

Pullets Pickled

Second Quality

Second Quality Cold Stored

Second Quality Sterilised

Second Quality Pickled

Ducks ;

(b) a mark (in this Article referred to as the nationality mark) consisting of the words : ÉIRE, IRISH ;

(c) a mark (in this Article referred to as the transport mark) consisting of the words: EGGS—THIS SIDE UP ;

(d) a mark (in this Article referred to as the identification mark) consisting of the identification letter and number assigned to the premises from which the eggs are exported ;

(e) a mark (in this Article referred to as the quantity mark) consisting of a number indicating the quantity of eggs in the package ;

(f) a mark (in this Article referred to as the date of export mark) consisting of figures indicating the date of export of the package from the registered premises on which it was packed.

(2) All letters and figures constituting any mark prescribed by the foregoing paragraph shall have the following dimensions, that is to say :—

(a) all such letters and figures shall be at least one inch high in block type ;

(b) every part of such letters and figures shall be at least one eighth of one inch broad ;

(c) the total width of the space taken by every such letter or figure, except the letter I and the figure 1, shall be at least one half-inch ;

(d) the space between adjoining letters or figures shall be one half-inch.

(3) The marks prescribed by this Article shall be applied to the packages to which they are applicable in the following manner, that is to say :—

(a) all such marks shall be applied to the package by burning or by stamping or stencilling the same in black in a clear and legible manner and except where otherwise stated in this paragraph, on the outside of the package ;

(b) in all cases, the transport mark shall be applied to the top boards of the package ;

(c) In the case of standard package No. 1—

(i) the grade mark and the quantity mark shall be applied to the upper board at each end of the package ;

(ii) the nationality mark and the identification mark shall be applied to the lower board at each end of the package ;

(iii) the date of export mark shall be applied to a lower side board of each compartment of the package ;

(d) in the case of standard package No 2—

(i) the grade mark, and the quantity mark shall be applied to the upper board at each end of the package ;

(ii) the nationality mark and the identification mark shall be applied to the lower board at each end of the package ;

(iii) the date of export mark shall be applied to a lower side board of the package ;

(e) in the case of standard package No. 3—

(i) the grade mark and the quantity mark shall be applied to the top board at each end of the package ;

(ii) the nationality mark shall be applied to the lower board at each end of the package ;

(iii) the identification mark shall be applied to the centre of the middle board at each end of the package ;

(iv) the date of export mark shall be applied to a lower side board of the package ;

(f) the marks referred to in the foregoing sub-paragraphs of this paragraph, shall be applied in the manner illustrated in the Second Schedule to these Regulations ;

(g) in the case of cold stored, sterilised, or pickled eggs, the words "Cold stored", "Sterilised", or "Pickled" (as the case may be) shall be applied to the inside of the end of the package.

8.—(1) The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the deletion of the Second Schedule now contained in those Regulations and the insertion in lieu thereof of the Schedule set out in the Appendix to these Regulations, and the Principal Regulations and these Regulations shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

(2) The sixth paragraph of the Third Schedule to the Principal Regulations being the paragraph commencing with the words "Efficient appliances of metal" and ending with the words "PICKLED (if pickled eggs are dealt with on the premises)" shall be, deleted and in lieu thereof the following paragraph shall have effect that is to say :—

" Efficient appliances of metal or other approved material for stencilling or printing in black, or for branding on packages—

(i) the identification letter and number assigned to the premises from which the eggs are exported ; and

(ii) the number indicating the quantity of eggs in the package, and

(iii) the figures indicating the date of export of the package from the registered premises on which it was packed, and

(iv) the following words :—

ÉIRE, IRISH

EGGS—THIS SIDE UP

FOR COLLECTION ONLY

SPECIALS

STANDARD

SELECTED

PULLETS

SECOND QUALITY

DUCKS

COLD STORED (if cold stored eggs are dealt with on the premises)

PICKLED (if pickled eggs are dealt with on the premises)

STERILISED (if sterilised eggs are dealt with on the premises)."

9. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 6th day of March, 1939.

APPENDIX.

"SECOND SCHEDULE."

STANDARD PACKAGE No. 1

.

STANDARD PACKAGE No. 3.

Given under my Seal of Office this 20th day of February, 1939.

(Signed) SÉAMAS O RIAIN,

Minister for Agriculture.