Poultry and Egg Services is a grading and inspection program in the Division of Commodity Services. It operates under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Inspectors are trained and employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and licensed by the USDA.

Grading and certification are voluntary services, typically paid by user fees. Grading is the evaluation of poultry and shell eggs based on the official USDA quality standards. Certification is the process of verifying that poultry and shell egg purchases meet specific requirements such as quality, condition, formulation, weight, packaging, storage and transportation. Certification services are tailored to meet the specific product needs of food manufacturers, the food service industry and food retailers.

Contact VDACS for additional information on Poultry and Egg Services program and its services.