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Serving Eggs

Safe Egg Handling and Preparation - American Egg Board

Egg Products Preparation - USDA FSIS Fact Sheets on Egg and Egg Product Safety

  • Wash hands thoroughly before handling eggs at every stage in the process (cooking, cooling, dyeing).
  • If eggs cannot be colored right away, store them in their cartons in the refrigerator. Be sure to wash them once you are ready to use them.
  • Do not color or hide cracked eggs.
  • Store the colored eggs in a clean and sanitized container in the refrigerator until hiding time.
  • Eat only eggs with uncracked shells.
  • Avoid eating eggs that have been out of the refrigerator more than two hours.

If you are planning to use colored eggs as decoration (such as for a centerpiece), and the eggs will be out of refrigeration for many hours or several days, prepare extra eggs. Discard the extra eggs after they have served their decorative purpose.

Eggs are perishable and must be properly stored, prepared, and served. Raw eggs contain a risk of Salmonella, a bacteria that can't be seen, touched or tasted.


  • Article History
    • Revision Date: 6/22/2010

Consumer Information

Food Safety Tip of the Day

Seal it

IAFP - cross contamination icon

Use a plate, pan or even a plastic bag defrosting raw meats, poultry, or seafood in a refrigerator. Containing the juices that form during the defrosting process helps to prevent potential cross contamination of other items in the refrigerator. These juices may contain illness-causing bacteria that may contaminate ready-to-eat foods unless otherwise contained.

Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education

Resources:

Foodborne Pathogen of the Day

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