Think twice before eating those hard-boiled Easter eggs

Time out of refrigerator is key to safety, even for hard-boiled eggs

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Monday, April 22, 2019
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The Easter egg hunt is over and now you're thinking of cracking those pretty shells, and chowing down on the hard-boiled eggs.

Think again - they may not be safe to eat.

And it's got nothing to do with the dye. Store-bought dye kits have been made of food-safe colors for years. It's all about how long they've been out of the refrigerator.

The U.S Department of Agriculture says you should not eat any cooked eggs or egg dishes that have been unrefrigerated or chilled on ice for more than 2 hours, or for more than 1 hour when air temperatures are above 90 degrees. Eggs are far more susceptible to bacteria after that amount of time.

It is hard to tell how many people have been sickened by spoiled Easter eggs.

Food safety experts say most cases are likely individuals or families, and not in a group setting.