The state is taking the old proverb “waste not, want not” to heart with a new statute on the books.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Scrambled, over easy, poached – however you like them – eggs, and a lot more of them, are now available to Minnesotans who need them most.
The eggs-pansion is thanks to a new state law that lets grocers donate eggs weeks after their sell-by date instead of letting them go to waste.
Gov. Tim Walz signed the Shell Egg Bill (SF3891) into law on May 26, 2026. The legislation, which officially took effect Aug. 1, 2026, aims to help more Minnesota families while reducing food waste statewide.
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Second Harvest Heartland joined the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Grocers Association and leaders from ICA Food Shelf on Thursday to celebrate.
“Today, we are celebrating something that’s, if you will, eggs-cellent,” said Sarah Moberg, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, a Brooklyn Park-based food bank and the state’s largest distributor of food to local food shelves.
Before this year, Minnesota was one of only a handful of states where eggs could be donated only up until the quality assurance date printed on the carton, commonly known as the ‘sell by’ or ‘best if used by’ date. Once that date passed, retailers had no choice but to throw the eggs away, even though federal food safety officials say eggs remain safe to eat well beyond that date.
“We know that eggs remain safe and nutritious well past that date,” Moberg said.
Eggs are consistently one of the most requested items at Minnesota food shelves.
ICA Food Shelf Executive Director Dan Narr said the price swings in groceries have made it harder for families to afford protein of any kind, whether it’s eggs or meat.
“We’ve seen the eggs disappear or come on shelves at a ridiculous price,” Narr said. “To have that balance and to have that choice as the food shelf is so important to us.”
Narr said roughly 70% of the food ICA distributes comes from donations, and demand has climbed sharply. The organization has seen seven times the demand over the past 18 months, at one point completing nearly 2,000 deliveries in 45 days.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tom Peterson said the bill was one of the few agriculture-related measures to pass this legislative session, but that this was one that stood out.
“When we think about food insecurity, this was a no-brainer,” Peterson said, crediting Second Harvest, lawmakers and grocers for pushing it across the finish line.
Second Harvest says the change could keep millions of eggs out of landfills. Last year alone, the organization distributed 300,000 pounds of eggs, roughly 200,000 dozen, to food shelves across the state.
“That is a lot of eggs,” Moberg said. “That is a lot of protein, that is a lot of nutrition getting out into our community.”
Steve Bartle, director of government relations for the Minnesota Grocers Association, thanked the coalition of lawmakers, regulators and nonprofits who worked the bill through committee.
“Even though it was unanimous, and it sounds like something simple, and everyone can get on board with, there are a lot of hoops to jump through, a lot of committees to pass it through,” Bartle said. “So this really would not be possible without all of that behind-the-scenes work.”
The bill had Republican and DFL authors: one being state Rep. Andrew Myers, R-Tonka Bay, a 10-year volunteer at Westonka Community Food Shelf in Mound, Minnesota, where he is also a board member.
Myers said he expects a “significant increase” in the number of eggs now available for donation.
“Because of how strict the rules were here in Minnesota, there were undoubtedly dozens of thousands of dozens of eggs that were being thrown away, as they were not able to be donated anymore,” Myers said. “So, this is really going to open that up.”
Myers said he plans to see the impact firsthand; he volunteers most Friday mornings doing food rescue pickups at a Cub Foods store, where new regulations for donated eggs will take effect with the new law.
Donated eggs received from retailers must meet strict criteria to be eligible for distribution:
Remain in their original packaging, as repackaging is strictly prohibited.Each egg is properly inspected to ensure consistent quality and safety.Be no more than 30 days past the original quality assurance date.Be continuously refrigerated throughout handling and storage.
Before distributing the eggs, food assistance programs are required to apply a new label to the cartons containing:
The name of the food shelf.The statement “Distribute within 30 days of carton date” OR “Distribute by DATE.”The text “Donated Eggs – Not for Resale.”
Any eggs that are not distributed to people by the end of the 30-day window following the original quality assurance date must be discarded.
For everyone involved at Second Harvest Heartland, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Grocers Association, and the ICA Food Shelf, the unanimous vote behind the bill means a lot.
“At a time when one in five Minnesota households doesn’t have the food that they need, we know that this new egg donation law will help us get food into the community right where it’s needed,” Moberg said. “The fact that this new law passed with unanimous support from state lawmakers shows that food has the power to unite us.”
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