Key to Safe Holiday is Proper Easter Egg Handling

Contact: Jennifer Holton 517-241-2485

LANSING - Many Michigan families celebrate Easter by decorating eggs and hosting Easter egg hunts.  The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recommends following these quick handling tips to ensure a safe Easter holiday and meal:

• Purchase eggs from refrigerated cases.
• Check egg cartons before buying; do not buy cracked eggs.
• Separate eggs and foods from raw meat, seafood and poultry in grocery carts and in your refrigerator.
• Wash hands for in warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after each step of preparation from cooking to hiding.
• Keep hard-boiled eggs, peeled or in the shell, in the refrigerator below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than one week and store eggs in the refrigerator, not in the door.
• Cook two sets of eggs - one to eat and one for the Easter egg hunt which should be discarded.

For more information about food safety and proper food handling, visit www.michigan.gov/foodsafety or contact your local Michigan State University Extension agent.

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