Are Eggs Dyed for Easter Safe to Eat?

Yes, if the answers to all the following questions are “Yes.”

• Is the dye safe to ingest?  Check the package.  Most dyes in children’s kits are vegetable dyes and are safe.  However, some kits are meant to be used on blown-out eggs, and the decorative materials (such as sprinkles) aren’t intended for consumption. If you use food coloring, of course, that’s also edible. If the dye is edible, it’s okay to eat the eggs even if, when peeled, you note that  some color has leaked unto the egg white.

• Were the eggs refrigerated within 2 hours? The danger zone for bacterial growth  is 40°-140°F.  After two hours, the bacterial count may be high enough to cause illness.  Refrigerate the eggs after dyeing them.  If you hide the eggs for a hunt, be sure the eggs get back into the fridge promptly.

• Was your egg hunt an indoor event?  If  you use your dyed eggs (or other eggs) for an Easter egg hunt that’s held outdoors, consider the fact that these eggs may come in contact with pesticides, animal manure, and other contaminants.  Don’t eat eggs thus exposed. Let the hunters trade their real eggs for candy ones, and throw out the hidden eggs. Alternatively, have the hunt indoors, and put the eggs in small plastic bags.  (Another tip: Write down how many you hid and where you put them, or you may find smelly eggs months later.)

• Did the children dyeing the eggs and peeling the eggs have clean hands?  Hands should be washed before handling any food.  Egg shells are very porous, so don’t count on the shells to protect the edible part from contamination.

•  Has it been a week or less since the eggs were hard-boiled?  Hard-boiled eggs don’t keep as well as raw eggs.  Keep  the dyed eggs in the fridge, and peel them only when you’re ready to eat them (within a week).

Source(s):

Ivillage.com  “Easter egg guidelines”
http://parenting.ivillage.com/gs/gscelebrations/0,,44ld,00.html

Answerbag “Can I eat Easter eggs after they’ve been dyed?”
www.answerbag.com/q_view/53474

YahooAnswers  “Is the Easter egg dye edible?”

USDA Fact Sheets: “Are Easter Eggs Safe?”
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/focus_on_shell_eggs/index.asp