With Easter upon us, many of us will be coloring, decorating and hunting eggs. If you plan to eat those eggs, remember these tips to keep yourself and your loved ones from developing a food-borne illness.

· Make sure you use only food-grade dyes for coloring. It’s safe to use commercial egg dyes, liquid food coloring or fruit-drink powders.

· Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling raw eggs or cooked eggs.

· Do not keep eggs out of the refrigerator for hunting or decorating longer than two hours.

· Choose egg hiding places that are free from dirt, moisture, pets and other sources of bacteria.

· Discard any cracked or dirty eggs as they could contain harmful bacteria.

· Eat properly refrigerated, hard-boiled eggs within one week of cooking.

· A greenish ring around the yolk of a hard-boiled egg is a sign of overcooking. It is still safe to eat.

To be extra cautious, you may consider decorating two sets of eggs. Use one for hunting and the other for eating. Another option is to hunt plastic eggs and eat the decorated, hard-boiled ones.

For more information on food safety, contact the Bell County Extension office.

Rebecca Miller is the Bell County extension agent for family and consumer sciences. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. Source: Annhall Norris, extension associate