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FEATURE SCRIPT – Easter Egg / Passover Safety Advice From USDA Hotline
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INTRODUCTION: If you're planning an Easter egg hunt, or boiling eggs for your Passover Seder (dinner),
here are some food safety reminders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA's Pat O'Leary
has more from Washington.
Pat O'Leary, USDA (voice-over): Eggs play a starring role in springtime celebrations, such as
Easter and Passover. But the food safety experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have some important
advice about eggs - whether they're on your Passover table or part of your Easter egg hunt:
Diane Van, USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: Like all perishable foods, eggs need to be handled
safely to prevent foodborne illness, so be sure to take steps to keep your family safe. Always wash your hands
with soap and water before and after handling raw eggs. To avoid cross-contamination, you should always wash
utensils and counters and other surfaces that touch the eggs. If you're decorating Easter eggs, use only food
grade dyes. Keep hard cooked eggs fully chilled, in the refrigerator, until just before the hunt. And be careful
not to crack eggs because bacteria can enter through cracks in the shell.
Pat O'Leary, USDA (voice-over): Think about buying one set of eggs for decorating and another
for eating. The experts say Easter eggs are safe to eat if you follow the rules:
- Hide eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other bacteria sources.
- Don't let eggs sit in hiding places for more than two hours.
- Throw away – don't eat – any cracked or dirty eggs and chill the clean, unbroken eggs until you're ready to munch!
Van: Remember that you can keep hard-cooked eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week if you
want to start preparations early. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer –
it should be 40 degrees or below.
Pat O'Leary, USDA (voice-over): Passover celebrations use a hard-cooked egg on the Seder plate.
Because it sits at room temperature for more than two hours, that egg should not be eaten.
Van: And remember, refrigerate to be safe. Don't keep the eggs sitting out on a counter or on
the table for more than two hours. Eggs can be enjoyed lots of ways if you prepare with care.
Pat O'Leary, USDA (voice-over): For more food safety information call the USDA Meat and Poultry
Hotline at 1-888-MPHOTLINE. In Washington, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I'm Pat O'Leary.
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