For many Hoosiers, it soon will be time to decorate eggs and hold traditional Easter egg hunts. State health officials are offering some tips to make sure this holiday season isn't spoiled by foodborne illness. Mishandling eggs at Easter can provide ample opportunity for eggs to become contaminated with bacteria. Improperly cooked eggs increase the danger of salmonella food poisoning.
Eggs are a potentially hazardous food in the same category as meat, poultry, fish, and milk.
In other words, they are capable of supporting the rapid and progressive growth of disease-causing bacteria like salmonella. Cool them in cold water or by air. Do not handle eggs excessively, and wash your hands thoroughly when you do handle them, whether in cooking, cooling, dyeing or hiding. Most commercial egg producers lightly coat their eggs with a thin spray coating of mineral oil to close the pores against contamination. Cooking the eggs in the shell removes that barrier, so that your hard-boiled eggs are again prone to contamination unless you protect them with proper handling.