Easter Eggs Safety Tips
By: Christine Arteta
Published: April 22, 2011

One of the most common sources of salmonella is eggs. Thoroughly cooked Easter eggs are not as risky as lightly cooked or raw eggs, but bacteria can be found both inside and outside of the shell. Here are some Easter egg reminders to prevent possible contamination:

Buy the freshest eggs.
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling the eggs.
Wash your hands before and after each step of dyeing eggs – cooking, cooling, dyeing and decorating. Remind kids to wash their hands too.
Refrigerate eggs at a temperature under 40? Fahrenheit.
Hard cook eggs. Here’s how to properly cook Easter eggs.
If your mouth needs to make contact with the raw egg (e.g. blowing a tiny hole in the egg shell to hollow out the egg), wash it first in hot water and a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach per half cup of water. You can also use pasteurized egg shells.
Use warm dye water in dying eggs to prevent absorption. Use food-safe dyes and decorating materials.
Use different sets of eggs for Easter egg decorating and hunting, and for eating. You can also use plastic eggs for the egg hunt.
Hide real eggs in clean and safe places. Do not hide them where animals can come close to them.
Do not use eggs with cracked shells.
Hide and hunt eggs within 2 hours only.
Refrigerate hard-cooked Easter eggs properly and consume within seven days. Do not store them in the refrigerator door.

Read more Easter egg hunting safety tips at Food Safety News.