You’ve purchased the eggs, hard-boiled them and colored them for easter. You are ready to hide them for the kids to find… but should you eat them? Meredith Carothers with USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends exercising caution. Carothers says that starts with washing your hands before cooking the eggs.
She says even after cooking the eggs, they are susceptible to bacterial contamination.
If you are hiding the eggs outdoors, it is hard to control what they may come in contact with. So if you hide real eggs outdoors, they recommend tossing them, or using plastic eggs as a substitute.
Also, remember the two-hour rule for leaving food out of refrigeration. If they are out for more than two hours you should dispose of them.