Type and size

Cage-Free Medium table eggs Wholesale & Export

Cage-Free egg wholesale and export planning for importers, distributors and food businesses. Medium (M): more than 43 g per egg under the South African reference used here. This lower boundary is not the average batch mass or a complete international grade definition.

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TypeCage-Free
SizeMedium (M)
Lower boundaryLower boundary: over 43 g
Assumed batch average47 g

Understanding cage-free medium eggs

Cage-free eggs are laid by hens not confined to cages during the laying cycle. Indoor barns and multi-tier aviaries can be cage-free systems. The term alone does not promise access to the outdoors, organic feed, pasture access or a particular nutrient level.

Medium table eggs are offered as an export-size enquiry in this catalogue. Cost-conscious retail ranges, catering and preparation lines that work to an agreed egg mass. Compare price per egg and price per usable kilogram. Agree the exact count, shell colour and production claim before comparing quotations.

Weight, grading and buyer specification

Medium (M): more than 43 g per egg under the South African reference used here. This lower boundary is not the average batch mass or a complete international grade definition.

Write the required mass rule into the purchase specification alongside shell condition, grading criteria and any permitted variation. USA egg-size classes and European size bands must be checked separately. A size label alone does not establish an internal-quality grade.

Source evidence and traceability

Request source-flock identification and a documented segregation chain from farm to packing. USDA AMS describes how cage-free identity must be maintained when a plant also packs eggs from other production systems.

Cage-free is a housing claim, not a guarantee that eggs are safer or nutritionally superior.

For a certified programme, check the certificate holder, validity, product scope and packing-site coverage. Keep the approved claim wording with the purchase order so that substitutions and retail repacking cannot silently change the specification.

Wholesale buyers and regional requirements

Retail supply programmes, hospitality groups and foodservice distributors with cage-free purchasing commitments need evidence that follows each lot.

Compare the applicable local cage-free definition with the buyer’s welfare policy. A source-system claim accepted in one country may need additional verification or different wording in another.

Retail packs, trays and export master cartons

Discuss 6, 10, 12, 15, 18, 24 or 30-egg retail formats, 30-egg trays and master cartons assembled to the agreed count. Availability of each format must be confirmed. A 12-tray case can contain 360 eggs; a seven-tray case can contain 210. Their external dimensions and loading counts are not interchangeable.

Use pockets that support the egg rather than letting smaller shells move excessively. Tray fit matters even when the outer carton matches a larger grade.

Apply the agreed cage-free statement to consumer packs and master cartons only when the source evidence supports the exact lot.

Cold chain and receiving quality

Agree the lawful temperature regime for the actual origin and destination, including washed or unwashed status. Applicable US consumer-destined shell eggs must be transported and stored under refrigeration at ambient air temperatures no greater than 45°F / 7.2°C. This is a regulatory maximum, not a universal recommended set point for every route.

Ask for packing dates, agreed remaining receiving life, temperature records and shell-condition acceptance criteria. Use pockets that support the egg rather than letting smaller shells move excessively. Tray fit matters even when the outer carton matches a larger grade. Housing or feed claims do not remove normal food-safety obligations.

Export documents and delivery planning

Confirm the source country, destination, importer responsibilities, permits and health-certificate requirements before booking. EU and UK access for US eggs can involve establishment-listing requirements. Current animal-health restrictions can change whether a route is available.

Refrigerated truck transfer, seafreight booking, customs clearance and receiving arrangements must be planned together. Table eggs do not inherit the hatching-egg 24–48 hour airfreight target. No fixed global transit time or guaranteed shelf life is promised on this page.

Wholesale pricing and an export-ready enquiry

Cage-Free egg suppliers quote against the actual product, Medium (M) size requirement, packing format, order volume and route. Compare the cost per egg, per master carton and per delivered shipment on the same specification; eggs at wholesale prices still need a documented quality and delivery agreement.

Send your destination, required delivery window, production claim, shell colour, carton count, pallet preference and purchasing term. Opallex supports table-egg wholesale and international export enquiries from its USA-based business. Source origin, certifications, availability and final loading quantity are confirmed in the quotation, not assumed from a catalogue page.

Type profile

Cage-Free Eggs at a glance

Definition	Cage-free eggs are laid by hens not confined to cages during the laying cycle. Indoor barns and multi-tier aviaries can be cage-free systems. The term alone does not promise access to the outdoors, organic feed, pasture access or a particular nutrient level.
Evidence to request	Request source-flock identification and a documented segregation chain from farm to packing. USDA AMS describes how cage-free identity must be maintained when a plant also packs eggs from other production systems.
Typical buyers	Retail supply programmes, hospitality groups and foodservice distributors with cage-free purchasing commitments need evidence that follows each lot.
Regions	Compare the applicable local cage-free definition with the buyer’s welfare policy. A source-system claim accepted in one country may need additional verification or different wording in another.
Packing	Apply the agreed cage-free statement to consumer packs and master cartons only when the source evidence supports the exact lot.
Size uses	Cost-conscious retail ranges, catering and preparation lines that work to an agreed egg mass. Compare price per egg and price per usable kilogram.
Size handling	Use pockets that support the egg rather than letting smaller shells move excessively. Tray fit matters even when the outer carton matches a larger grade.

Sizes

Seven export sizes for Cage-Free Eggs

Weight minimums are South African approximate lower boundaries (strictly greater than), not US or European equivalences. Mixed means mixed sizes.

White shell eggs in magenta pulp trays beside a corrugated carton

Lower boundary: over 72 g

Super Jumbo

Assumed batch average: 76 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Stacked pulp trays holding brown shell eggs

Lower boundary: over 66 g

Jumbo

Assumed batch average: 69 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Rows of white shell eggs in pulp trays, close view

Lower boundary: over 59 g

Extra Large (XL)

Assumed batch average: 63 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Workers in gloves handling trays of brown shell eggs on a rack

Lower boundary: over 51 g

Large (L)

Large

Assumed batch average: 55 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Three views: measuring an egg with calipers, cartons loaded in a truck, and eggs on a grading conveyor

Lower boundary: over 43 g

Medium (M)

Medium

Assumed batch average: 47 g

View packaging & loading requirements

White shell eggs packed in paper pulp trays

Lower boundary: over 33 g

Small (S)

Small

Assumed batch average: 38 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Brown shell eggs on tray lines inside a packing hall

Mixed sizes; lower boundary over 33 g

Mixed Sizes

Mixed-Size

Assumed batch average: 55 g

View packaging & loading requirements

Opallex export packaging

Opallex container & truck loading plans

Our export team prepares palletized and floor-loaded quotations around your egg size, master carton, receiving warehouse and destination. These planning quantities are confirmed against the approved pack, safe stacking height, airflow and booked equipment before dispatch.

USA pallets: Opallex quotation scenarios

Planning positions: 9 pallets in a 20ft reefer and 20 pallets in a 40ft high-cube reefer.

Opallex USA pallets palletized carton planning
Cartons per pallet	20ft cartons	40ft cartons
30	270	600
36	324	720
40	360	800
42	378	840
48	432	960

Euro pallets: Opallex quotation scenarios

Planning positions: 10 pallets in a 20ft reefer and 23 pallets in a 40ft high-cube reefer.

Opallex Euro pallets palletized carton planning
Cartons per pallet	20ft cartons	40ft cartons
30	300	690
36	360	828
40	400	920
42	420	966
48	480	1,104

Opallex’s 40ft USA-pallet planning reference is 20 pallets × 42 cartons = 840 cartons. At 48 cartons per pallet, the mathematical total is 960 cartons. Each scenario requires its own approved carton pattern, pallet rating, height, stability and weight checks; USA and Euro patterns are not interchangeable.

Opallex loading reference by equipment

Container rows use our supplied reference of 42 cartons per pallet: USA pallets 378 / 840 cartons and Euro pallets 420 / 966 cartons for 20ft / 40ft reefers. Egg and weight estimates use Medium (M), planning batch average 47 g, 360 eggs per carton and the tare inputs below. Truck rows are separate pack-specific calculations. Container floor-loaded quantities await carton dimensions and an approved loading pattern. Floor loading always means protected master cartons without pallets, never unprotected eggs.

Loading planning estimates by equipment and loading mode
Equipment	Mode	Pallets	Cartons per pallet	Cartons	Eggs	Gross kg	Note
20ft reefer	Floor loaded (no pallets)	Not used	Not applicable	Pack approval required	Pack approval required	Pack approval required	Carton dimensions, approved floor pattern, safe layers, airflow and payload are required before quoting a floor-loaded quantity.
20ft reefer	Euro pallets	10	42	420	151,200	8,196.4	Opallex supplied quotation reference: 42 cartons per pallet. Egg totals assume 360 eggs per carton; weight uses the stated batch average and model tare. Final carton pattern, pallet rating, height, airflow and payload require approval. This is not the separate truck geometry model.
20ft reefer	USA pallets	9	42	378	136,080	7,376.8	Opallex supplied quotation reference: 42 cartons per pallet. Egg totals assume 360 eggs per carton; weight uses the stated batch average and model tare. Final carton pattern, pallet rating, height, airflow and payload require approval. This is not the separate truck geometry model.
40ft high-cube reefer	Floor loaded (no pallets)	Not used	Not applicable	Pack approval required	Pack approval required	Pack approval required	Carton dimensions, approved floor pattern, safe layers, airflow and payload are required before quoting a floor-loaded quantity.
40ft high-cube reefer	Euro pallets	23	42	966	347,760	18,851.7	Opallex supplied quotation reference: 42 cartons per pallet. Egg totals assume 360 eggs per carton; weight uses the stated batch average and model tare. Final carton pattern, pallet rating, height, airflow and payload require approval. This is not the separate truck geometry model.
40ft high-cube reefer	USA pallets	20	42	840	302,400	16,392.8	Opallex supplied quotation reference: 42 cartons per pallet. Egg totals assume 360 eggs per carton; weight uses the stated batch average and model tare. Final carton pattern, pallet rating, height, airflow and payload require approval. This is not the separate truck geometry model.
Illustrative 4m refrigerated truck	Floor loaded (no pallets)	0	0	158	56,880	2,989.4	Opallex planning envelope: 4000 × 2000 × 2000 mm; payload 3,000 kg. 5 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 4m refrigerated truck	Euro pallets	7	20	140	50,400	2,823.8	Opallex planning envelope: 4000 × 2000 × 2000 mm; payload 3,000 kg. 5 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 4m refrigerated truck	USA pallets	3	30	90	32,400	1,777.8	Opallex planning envelope: 4000 × 2000 × 2000 mm; payload 3,000 kg. 5 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 6m refrigerated rigid truck	Floor loaded (no pallets)	0	0	422	151,920	7,984.2	Opallex planning envelope: 6000 × 2400 × 2300 mm; payload 8,000 kg. 6 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 6m refrigerated rigid truck	Euro pallets	15	24	360	129,600	7,186.2	Opallex planning envelope: 6000 × 2400 × 2300 mm; payload 8,000 kg. 6 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 6m refrigerated rigid truck	USA pallets	9	36	324	116,640	6,355.1	Opallex planning envelope: 6000 × 2400 × 2300 mm; payload 8,000 kg. 6 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 13.4m refrigerated semi-trailer	Floor loaded (no pallets)	0	0	1,232	443,520	23,309.4	Opallex planning envelope: 13400 × 2450 × 2600 mm; payload 24,000 kg. 7 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 13.4m refrigerated semi-trailer	Euro pallets	33	24	792	285,120	15,809.6	Opallex planning envelope: 13400 × 2450 × 2600 mm; payload 24,000 kg. 6 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.
Illustrative 13.4m refrigerated semi-trailer	USA pallets	26	36	936	336,960	18,359.1	Opallex planning envelope: 13400 × 2450 × 2600 mm; payload 24,000 kg. 6 carton layers; planning batch-average egg mass 47 g.

Opallex packaging & loading standards

Opallex loading plans are prepared for quotation and shipment planning. The approved packing specification, equipment booking and safe loading schedule determine the final dispatch quantity.
Opallex’s detailed quotation model uses a 600 × 300 × 320 mm outer carton, 12 trays × 30 eggs = 360 eggs, and 2 kg packaging tare. Replace these planning inputs with the dimensions and tare of the approved order pack.
Allow 100 mm top clearance in this simplified model; real reefer airflow channels, red load line, side/end clearance and temperature engineering can require more. No pallet overhang or double stacking is assumed.
Maximum illustrated stacking: six carton layers on a pallet or seven floor-loaded layers, further limited by available height. Box compression and tray suitability must be tested before adopting either limit.
Euro pallet: 1,200 × 800 × 144 mm with 1,500 kg rated load. USA/GMA pallet: 1,219.2 × 1,016 mm, assumed 150 mm high, 25 kg tare and conservative 900 kg rated load. Confirm the actual pallet ratings. The model uses a mixed two-lane pallet layout where it fits, not a universal pallet-position claim.
Gross carton mass = 360 × assumed average egg mass ÷ 1,000 + 2 kg packaging. Size thresholds are not average weights; substitute the actual graded batch average and packaging mass.
Floor loading means cartons loaded without pallets—not loose eggs, eggs without trays, or eggs without cartons. Uniform carton orientation is conservative, not an optimized stuffing plan.
Opallex checks equipment payload, road axle limits, chassis, port restrictions, pallet tare, securing materials and verified gross mass before confirming a load. The truck body dimensions and payloads below are quotation-planning inputs.

How we approve your dispatch plan

Cartons per pallet = cartons per approved layer × safe carton layers.
Palletized cartons = approved cartons per pallet × booked pallet positions.
Floor-loaded cartons = cartons per floor layer × approved layers, limited by payload, carton strength and required airflow.
We check egg-pocket fit, tray support, master-case strength, ventilation, batch labels and destination artwork.
Our team confirms the actual container or truck dimensions, pallet pattern, cargo mass and unloading arrangements before dispatch.

Request an Opallex packing & loading plan

Types

Medium (M) across ten egg types

Compare egg types in this export size, including their packaging and product requirements. Certificates and availability depend on confirmed supply.

Other sizes for Cage-Free Eggs

Medium (M) in other types

All Cage-Free Eggs sizes Medium (M) packaging requirements

Export guides

Table egg export guide directory

Related products and pages

Table eggs for consumption are separate from fertile hatching eggs.

Buyer questions

Cage-Free Medium table eggs Wholesale & Export FAQ

Can I buy cage-free medium eggs in bulk?

Send the required quantity, product specification and destination to sales. Current stock, origin, minimum order and export eligibility are confirmed per quotation; catalogue inclusion is not a live availability guarantee.

What does Medium (M) mean here?

Medium (M): more than 43 g per egg under the South African reference used here. This lower boundary is not the average batch mass or a complete international grade definition.

How many cartons fit in a 20ft or 40ft container?

At 42 cartons per pallet, Opallex’s USA-pallet reference is 378 cartons in a 20ft reefer and 840 in a 40ft high-cube reefer. Our Euro-pallet reference is 420 and 966 cartons respectively. Alternative scenarios use 30, 36, 40 or 48 cartons per pallet, subject to packing approval. Container floor-loaded quantities require actual carton dimensions, safe stacking and airflow checks before quotation.

Does floor loading mean eggs without cartons?

No. Floor loading here means protective master cartons loaded without pallets. Eggs still need suitable trays, cartons, restraint and approved handling.

What should I check when comparing leading table egg exporters?

Compare the actual source and lot records, destination eligibility, claim evidence, packing specification, temperature plan and written terms. A search phrase such as top USA eggs exporters is not independent verification of a supplier’s ranking or shipment eligibility.

Is the cage-free claim automatically certified?

Request a quote

Quote for Cage-Free Medium table eggs Wholesale & Export

Tell us your packing requirements, destination and delivery schedule. Submit your enquiry directly to the Opallex sales team at sales@opallex.com.

Opallex quality assurance

Egg certification & export standards

Opallex’s egg export programme includes USDA and egg-grading certification. Each shipment is prepared against the product-quality, packaging and export-documentation requirements applicable to its origin and destination.

USDA certification

USDA certification forms part of Opallex’s egg export programme. Our team provides the applicable documentation and confirms its product, facility and origin scope during order review.

Egg grading & product quality

Opallex provides egg-grading certification and agreed quality specifications, including the declared grade, size requirements, packing date and batch identification for applicable egg orders.

Export documentation & standards

We coordinate the health certificates, traceability records, packing lists and other export documents required for the agreed route. Product eligibility and destination requirements are checked before dispatch.

Request certification & export requirements