A NEW ERA

Actress and model Claudia Jordan says it's about time the Miss USA organization broke the age barrier in beauty ... by finally permitting women over 28 to compete for the crown.

We spoke to Claudia, herself a former contestant, and she's glad the pageant's outdated message that women have an expiration date is over -- especially since she's known women racing against the clock, knowing they have one more year of eligibility to achieve their Miss USA goal.

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