OHIO If you've used food-safe dyes on your Easter eggs, they could be good to eat for up to one week (if properly refrigerated and stored).
However, if you're decorating with non-edible colors or hiding the eggs outside avoid eating your creations, the USDA says. There's a chance you could expose yourself or others to salmonella.
About 1 in every 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and there's no way to know by looking at the eggs which ones might have the bacteria lurking in them.
If they do contain salmonella bacteria, the contaminant can multiply quickly at room temperature, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's why it's important to refrigerate eggs as soon as possible after gathering or bringing them home from the store.
Some important considerations:
In some cultures and Easter traditions, the egg whites and yolks are blown out of the shell. If you're blowing out an egg, follow these tips from the USDA and Jessi Wohlwend on her DIY blog, Practically Functional:
The USDA frowns on eating eggs used for hunting but says if the intent is to have the kids eat them, the eggs should be hidden in places that are free of dirt, moisture, pets and other sources of bacteria. Keep in mind, too, that eggs in the dirt can pick up bacteria from the soil, especially if the shells are cracked.
The total "hide and hunt time" should never exceed two hours, the USDA says. Found eggs should be washed, put back in the refrigerator and eaten within seven days of the date they were boiled.
The agency would rather folks boil two sets of eggs one for eating and the other for decorating and hiding or use plastic eggs in the hunt.
Salmonella illnesses are unpleasant, but usually not life-threatening except in some cases of people with weakened immune systems, adults 65 and older and children 5 and younger, the CDC says. In most cases, the illness will last four to seven days of eating the contaminated food, with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal cramps.
Here are some facts about eggs in general from the American Egg Board:
Want to know how to peel a hard-boiled egg without damaging the whites? Check this out from the American Egg Board:
Follow this link:
Hard-Boiled Easter Eggs: How Long Are They Safe To Eat? - Patch.com
