Handling Eggs Safely During Spring Activities

Many spring celebrations include cooking, decorating and hiding eggs. Keep foodborne illnesses from being a guest at your celebrations – handle eggs safely by following these guidelines:

• Remember the 2-Hour Rule!  Do not keep eggs and other foods that spoil easily at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Wash hands well with warm, soapy water before handling eggs.
• Cook eggs until yolk and whites are firm.
• Cool cooked eggs quickly. This can be done under cold running water or by putting eggs in a bowl that is filled with ice and water.
• Use food-safe dye to color eggs.
• Do not decorate, hide or eat cracked eggs.
• Buy one set of eggs for decorating and eating and another set for hiding. Keep decorated eggs for eating in the refrigerator (40^oF or below) until it is time to eat them.
• Decorated eggs used for egg hunts should be thrown away after the hunt. Think about using plastic eggs for egg hunts instead of hardboiled eggs. Choose hiding places that keep eggs from coming into contact with harmful bacteria or chemicals.
• Throw away eggs that have been out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.
• It is safe to keep hardboiled eggs in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• Egg dishes such as egg salad or deviled eggs should be eaten within 3 or 4 days.

mr 6-25-09