How to Read the USDA Egg Products Report — Shell Eggs Broken and Egg Product Output at Inspected Plants
USDA Egg Products, U.S. federally inspected egg breaking plants, September 2026: 221 million dozen shell eggs broken (+3% from a year earlier); January-September 1.89 billion dozen (+4%).
Key figures (Egg Products, October 30, 2026 report)
As of 31 October 2026, 04:20 KST; most recently published report: Egg Products, released October 30, 2026, by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), covering shell eggs broken at federally inspected U.S. plants in September 2026. The NASS October 2026 calendar lists the release at 3:00 pm ET; the publication page lists the next scheduled releases on November 30 and December 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM without a time zone. Primary source: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796129/eggs1026.txt[1][3][4]
| Indicator (U.S., federally inspected plants) | Previous (August 2026, as revised in the October 30 report) | Current (September 2026) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago (September 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell eggs broken (1,000 dozen) | 221,293 (first published as 215,928) | 220,525 | 100 percent of August (published); -0.3% (calculated) | 103 percent (published) of 213,657; +3.2% (calculated) | levels and percent-of columns: USDA NASS primary statistical record; % changes: this page's calculation |
| Edible product, total (1,000 pounds) | 284,697 (first published as 277,660) | 282,907 | 99 percent (published); -0.6% (calculated) | 104 percent (published) of 273,214; +3.5% (calculated) | levels and percent-of columns: USDA NASS primary statistical record; % changes: this page's calculation |
| Edible product, whole (1,000 pounds) | 181,401 (first published as 177,046) | 179,376 | 99 percent (published); -1.1% (calculated) | 103 percent (published) of 174,064; +3.1% (calculated) | levels and percent-of columns: USDA NASS primary statistical record; % changes: this page's calculation |
| Inedible product (1,000 pounds) | 21,105 (first published as 20,488) | 20,110 | 95 percent (published); -4.7% (calculated) | 93 percent (published) of 21,512; -6.5% (calculated) | levels and percent-of columns: USDA NASS primary statistical record; % changes: this page's calculation |
| Shell eggs broken, January-September (1,000 dozen) | not shown as a separate column | 1,886,759 | not applicable | 104 percent (published) of 1,810,278; +4.2% (calculated) | levels and percent-of columns: USDA NASS primary statistical record; % changes: this page's calculation |
Comparison basis: levels are as published; the August 2026 values are those printed in the October 30 report, with the first published figures from the September 30 report noted. The report's own comparisons are whole-number "percent of" ratios; this page's percentage changes are calculated from the levels and rounded to one decimal. The two releases, publication page and calendar are all from USDA and count as one source.[1][2]
In three lines
1. The monthly NASS report counts shell eggs broken and the edible and inedible product made from them at federally inspected U.S. egg breaking plants.
2. In September 2026, those plants broke 221 million dozen eggs, up 3% from September 2025 and slightly below the revised August total.
3. January-September 2026 breakings were 1.89 billion dozen, up 4% from the same months of 2025.[1]
What the report says (in NASS's words)
"Shell eggs broken totaled 221 million dozen during September 2026, up 3 percent from September a year ago, but slightly below the 221 million dozen broken during the previous month." "During calendar year 2026 through September, shell eggs broken totaled 1.89 billion dozen, up 4 percent from the comparable period in 2025." "To date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2026 was 2.43 billion pounds, up 4 percent from 2025."[1]
Where the data come from. "Data presented in this report were compiled from Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection reports." "The act and its associated regulations require that all commercial egg breaking and processing plants operate under USDA supervision." "Reports are currently received from approximately 80 plants in the United States." "The egg products estimates are based on a census of all commercial egg breaking and processing plants; therefore, there are no statistical estimation and sampling errors."[1]
Calendar. The October 30 report lists the same weekday and Saturday counts for September 2025 and September 2026: "September 2026 contained 22 weekdays (including 1 holiday) and 4 Saturdays." The September 30 report separately lists August 2026 as 21 weekdays and 5 Saturdays: "August 2026 contained 21 weekdays (including 0 holidays) and 5 Saturdays."[1][2]
Reading in pairs
First print vs revised. "Revisions are generally the result of late reports received by FSIS from plants." "Revisions for the previous month and year-to-date totals are published in each monthly release." "Additional revisions are published annually in the February report." August 2026 shell eggs broken were first published as 215,928 thousand dozen and are printed as 221,293 in the October 30 report (+5,365, or +2.5%, this page's calculation); August edible product moved from 277,660 to 284,697 thousand pounds (+7,037). The September 30 report had said: "Shell eggs broken totaled 216 million dozen during August 2026, down slightly from August a year ago, but 1 percent above the 214 million dozen broken during the previous month."[1][2]
Month vs year to date. The comparison table shows September at 100 percent of revised August and 103 percent of September 2025; the year-to-date total (104 percent) includes the revised earlier months. By this page's subtraction, January-August 2026 now stands at 1,666,234 thousand dozen.[1]
Plant count in two places. The report says: "Reports are currently received from approximately 80 plants in the United States." The publication page says: "The data is based on reports received from approximately 60 commercial egg breaking and processing plants in the United States." The two USDA texts give different approximate counts; the report text is the one attached to these figures.[1][3]
Census vs revision. Because the figures come from all federally inspected plants, NASS states there is no sampling error, but late plant reports still lead to revisions, as the August change shows. The report does not explain why breakings rose from a year earlier.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
Federally inspected U.S. plants broke 221 million dozen shell eggs in September 2026, up 3 percent from September 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. shell eggs broken totaled 1.89 billion dozen in January-September 2026, up 4 percent from the same period of 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Total edible product from shell eggs broken in the U.S. was 282,907 thousand pounds in September 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
August 2026 U.S. shell eggs broken were revised from 215,928 thousand dozen to 221,293 thousand dozen.[1][2] 1 source · authoritative record
The USDA publication page lists the next scheduled Egg Products releases on November 30 and December 30, 2026.[3] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
U.S. shell eggs broken in September 2026 (220,525 thousand dozen) were 3.2% above September 2025 and 0.3% below the revised August 2026 figure.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the October 30 release
The August 2026 revision added 5,365 thousand dozen, 2.5% of the first published figure.[1][2] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's comparison of the September 30 and October 30 releases
Timeline
- 2026-09-30
NASS releases Egg Products for August 2026.[2]
- 2026-10-30
NASS releases Egg Products for September 2026, revising August.[1][4]
- 2026-11-30
Next scheduled Egg Products release listed on the USDA publication page.[3]
- 2026-12-30
Following scheduled Egg Products release listed on the USDA publication page.[3]
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Why were September 2026 breakings 3% above a year earlier?
- How many plants actually reported in September 2026?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/31/2026, 04:22
- Body characters
- 6,072
- Sources
- 4 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/31/2026, 04:27
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/31/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/31/2026 | First version. Read in full the USDA NASS Egg Products text releases of October 30 and September 30, 2026, including the monthly and cumulative tables and methodology, plus the publication page and the NASS October 2026 release calendar; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/31/2026 | Revised after review: the calendar note now says the October 30 report lists the same weekday and Saturday counts for September 2025 and September 2026, and that the September 30 report lists August 2026 separately; the month comparison is described from the comparison table. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How many shell eggs did federally inspected U.S. plants break in September 2026?
220,525 thousand dozen (221 million dozen), 103 percent of September 2025, according to the NASS report of October 30, 2026.[1]
Why does the October 30, 2026 report show a different U.S. August 2026 egg breaking total?
NASS revises the previous month, generally for late plant reports: August went from 215,928 to 221,293 thousand dozen, so September is compared with the revised figure.[1][2]
How much edible egg product did U.S. breaking plants produce in September 2026?
282,907 thousand pounds in total: 179,376 whole, 68,741 white and 34,790 yolk; inedible product was 20,110 thousand pounds.[1]
Do the September 2026 U.S. Egg Products figures have sampling error?
No: NASS says the estimates are based on a census of all commercial egg breaking and processing plants (about 80 reporting), so there is no sampling error, though figures can still be revised.[1]
How many U.S. eggs were broken from January through September 2026?
1,886,759 thousand dozen (1.89 billion), 104 percent of the same months of 2025, with 2.43 billion pounds of edible product.[1]
Is the September 2026 U.S. Egg Products report about table egg production?
No: it covers the 220,525 thousand dozen shell eggs broken at federally inspected breaking plants and the product made from them, not total egg production.[1]