As families across Canada come together to celebrate Easter, a food safety expert is advising everyone to pay close attention to food handling practices—especially when it comes to traditional holiday meals and Easter egg hunts.
Be Careful with Easter Eggs
Decorating and hiding hard-boiled eggs is a beloved Easter tradition, but Keith Warriner, a professor of food safety at the University of Guelph, warns that safety should come first.
When decorating eggs, Warriner advises avoiding acrylic paints, which can contain harmful solvents. “These paints can seep into the egg through its porous shell,” he explains. Instead, use food-grade dyes or natural vegetable extracts if you plan to eat the eggs later.
Refrigeration is also key. Hard-boiled eggs should not be left out for more than two hours. “Once the decorating is done, put them back in the fridge,” Warriner says. “Try to eat them within five to seven days.”
Egg Hunts: Fun with a Side of Caution
When it comes to egg hunts, safety depends heavily on location. “Outdoor environments are home to a variety of pathogens—everything from parasites to E. coli and Salmonella,” Warriner warns. Because of this, eggs hidden outside should not be eaten afterward.
He suggests hosting indoor hunts whenever possible. “Choose clean, low-risk areas and avoid places like garbage bins or washrooms,” he says.
Holiday Meals: A Recipe for Risk if Not Handled Properly
Large holiday gatherings often mean buffet-style meals and plenty of leftovers, both of which can pose food safety risks if not handled properly.
“We consistently see a spike in foodborne illnesses after holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter,” says Warriner. The main culprit? Clostridium perfringens—a spore-forming bacterium commonly found in meat. Though it usually causes only a day-long bout of diarrhea, it can lead to serious dehydration in older adults.
Other common bacteria include:
-
Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause rapid-onset sickness within 6–24 hours.
-
Bacillus cereus, typically found in starchy foods like rice and potatoes, which can also lead to gastrointestinal symptoms and, in rare cases, more serious illness.
Cross-contamination is another major risk, leading to infections like salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and E. coli.
Warriner’s Golden Rules for Safe Celebrations
Warriner recommends following these four basic principles:
-
Cook: Ensure all food reaches safe internal temperatures—especially poultry and ham, which should hit 73°C.
-
Chill: Don’t leave food out for more than two hours. Between 4°C and 63°C is the danger zone for bacterial growth.
-
Separate: Use different surfaces, utensils, and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
-
Sanitize: Keep cooking areas clean throughout the preparation process.
When serving buffet-style meals, keep cold foods on ice and hot foods in warming dishes above 73°C. Once it’s time for the egg hunt or dessert, get leftover food into the fridge or freezer immediately.
Leftovers: Handle with Care
According to Health Canada, leftovers should be stored in shallow containers to cool quickly and eaten within three to four days. Warriner adds, “Always reheat leftovers to at least 71°C before eating.”
His final reminder: “There’s no hard rule about what you can or can’t freeze. When in doubt, freeze it.”
