News for Families & Consumers
Are Easter eggs safe?
By: Martha Partridge

Eggs are often decorated, used as decorations, and hunted at Easter time. Most years I receive calls concerning the safety of this tradition. Here are some safety tips for Easter eggs supplied by Carolyn Ainslie, Educational Program Specialist, UGA Cooperative Extension:

.. Purchasing and storing: At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Make sure they have been refrigerated in the store. Any bacteria present in an egg can multiply quickly at room temperature. When purchasing egg products or substitutes, look for containers that are tightly sealed. Take eggs straight home and store them immediately in the refrigerator set at 40 degrees F or below. Keep them in their carton and place them in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door. Do not wash eggs before storing them; this could remove the protective mineral oil coating and increase the potential for bacteria on the shell to enter the egg.

.. Preparing hard-boiled eggs: Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Fill the saucepan with enough tap water to cover the eggs by at least one inch. Cover the pan, bring the water to a boil, and then immediately remove the pan from the burner to prevent further boiling. Allow the eggs to stand covered in the hot water for 15 minutes, and then promptly place the eggs in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Let the eggs remain in the ice water until completely cooled. After hard cooking the eggs, return them to the refrigerator within two hours.

.. Preparing hollow eggshells: Because some raw eggs may contain Salmonella, you must use caution when blowing out the contents to hollow out the shell for decorating, such as for Ukrainian Easter eggs. Use only eggs that have been kept refrigerated and are uncracked. To destroy bacteria that may be present on the surface of the egg, wash the egg in hot water and then rinse in a solution of one-teaspoon chlorine bleach per half cup of water. After blowing out the egg, refrigerate the contents and use within two to four days; cook thoroughly before eating.

.. Decorating eggs: Most egg producers apply a light coat of mineral oil as a protective barrier against contamination. Cooking eggs removes this coat of oil and leaves the egg more susceptible to contamination; therefore, proper handling is especially important after cooking. Eggs whose shells crack during cooking should not be used for decorating or hiding. If eggs are to be eaten, use a food-safe coloring. As with all foods, persons dyeing the eggs should wash their hands before handling the eggs. After the eggs have been decorated, return them to clean, airtight containers and refrigerate them until they are to be hidden. One Easter bread recipe is decorated with dyed, cooked eggs in the braided bread. Because the bread is kept at room temperature, these eggs should be considered a decoration only and not eaten.

.. Hunting eggs: Hard-cooked eggs for an egg hunt must be prepared with care to prevent cracking the shells. If the shells crack, bacteria could contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other sources of bacteria. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed two hours. The "found" eggs must be rerefrigerated until eaten.

For more food safety information, contact your Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent through your local county extension office.