Annual Easter egg hunts serve as food safety reminder

ALBANY — Easter egg hunt season still brings with it the appeal of buying dye kits so that real eggs can be used during hunts, but some tips have to be kept in mind when using real, hard boiled eggs rather than plastic eggs.

Dougherty County Environmental Health Manager James Davis said plastic eggs have become more commonplace since they can be stuffed with goodies, but that there are those who still like to use real eggs — which are safe as long as the proper precautions are used.

Specifically, precautions involve using food-safe dye and making sure they are not cooked too far in advance since hard boiled eggs can spoil within a week, faster than they would uncooked in the fridge.

“(When using real eggs in hunts), you don’t want them in the sun more than two hours,” Davis said. “Don’t place them on the ground, because you never know what has been in that spot.”

Davis also said to be sure the eggs are washed if they are to be consumed, and that if they get cracked, to dispose of them. He also suggested people to trust their nose, and that if an egg smells bad, that means it needs to be thrown out. Furthermore, eggs in the refrigerator should be stored in the back where they will be the most cold.

The environmental health manager said there has not been a significant amount of food borne illness in recent years in the Albany area related to Easter eggs that he has heard of.

“We don’t see a lot of it,” he said. “People know the ins and outs of eggs, and kids have fun decorating them. We don’t have a high rate of Easter egg (illness), and I’ve never heard it discussed.”

Davis further said it is important to make sure all the real eggs used in a hunt are immediately accounted for.

“Write down were you hide them to make sure you get them all,” he said.

Bridgette A. Keefe, food safety education staffer for the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted some tips at foodsafety.gov for those cooking ham, beef, lamb and eggs for spring holiday meals. Her suggestions included:

— Fresh, uncooked hams must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees and allowed to rest for three minutes before serving. Spiral-cut or fully cooked unsliced hams are ready-to-eat products that can be served cold or reheated, and if they are reheated, should be heated to at least 140 degrees before serving.

— Country hams should be soaked for four to 12 hours in the refrigerator to reduce the salt content before cooking. After soaking, it should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees and allowed to rest for three minutes before serving.

— Beef brisket, unlike many beef cuts, is less tender and requires longer cooking or until “fork-tender.” If cooking in the oven, set the oven for somewhere between 325-350 degrees. Place brisket fat-side up, barely cover the meat with water — about one inch — and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Cook for about one hour per pound of meat.

— There are many types of lamb cuts, such as shanks, shoulders and steaks. Regardless of its cut, all lamb should be cooked to a safe internal minimum temperature of 145 degrees with a three-minute rest time, as measured with a meat thermometer. See a cooking chart for various lamb cuts.

— Always cook eggs until both the white and yolk are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees as measured by a food thermometer. Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing eggs immediately after cooking, or place in shallow containers for quick cooling and refrigerate at once for later use. Use within four days.

— It is recommended to make two sets of eggs – one for decorating and hiding, another for eating. Consider using plastic eggs for hiding. If the plan is to eat the eggs being hidden, after hard cooking eggs, dye them and return them to the refrigerator within two hours. Don’t leave the eggs at room temperature more than two hours.