Brits in their droves will be taking to gardens and parks this weekend to search for eggs as part of Easter hunts.
But a nutrition expert has revealed how the centuries-old tradition could see you spend the bank holiday bed-bound with diarrhoea, vomiting and a fever.
Failing to boil eggs correctly can make the colourful snack a source of salmonella.
And those who eat the eggs which have been left outdoors for hours risk suffering food poisoning, as the treat becomes a ‘breeding ground’ for bacteria.
Dr Richard Allison, a performance nutrition consultant, said the eggs cooked for your hunt ‘need to be taken seriously’ to avoid them becoming a source of illness.
An Easter egg hunt, which is believed to Germany in the 1500s, involves hard boiling eggs, decorating the shell and them hiding them outdoors
An Easter egg hunt, which is believed to have originated in Germany in the 1500s, involves hard boiling eggs, decorating the shell and them hiding them outdoors.
Dr Allison, who runs the sports nutrition and recovery clinic at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, noted that while the activity has become an ‘integral part’ of Easter tradition, ‘it is important to exercise caution when consuming these eggs’.
‘Eggs need to be taken seriously when cooking them because they can be a potential source of foodborne illness if not properly handled and cooked,’ he said.
He explained that undercooked eggs can contain salmonella, which can lead to food poisoning.
Dr Richard Allison, who is the head of nutrition for Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Team, lays down the dangers and the ways you can avoid having an uneasy Easter
Salmonella affects the intestinal tract, causing symptoms such as nausea and stomach cramps, that start within 12 to 72 hours of becoming infected.
The common bacterial illness usually lasts for four to seven days. However, in severe cases, the infection can spread to the bloodstream, which requires prompt treatment with antibiotics.
Young children, the over-65s and immunosuppressed have a higher risk of becoming severely ill with food poisoning caused by salmonella.
To reduce the risk of becoming infected with salmonella from eggs, they should be cooked for 10 to 12 minutes.
However, The Herbal Life nutritionist said that overcooking eggs can make them ‘tough and rubbery’, which makes them less enjoyable to eat.
He noted that the nutrient content of eggs also changes depending on how long they are cooked.
Dr Allison, who is also head of nutrition for the Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Team, said: ‘Raw or undercooked eggs contain avidin, which can interfere with the absorption of biotin, a B-vitamin important for metabolism.
‘Overcooking eggs can cause nutrient loss, particularly for heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin B12 and folate.’
But even cooking eggs to perfection does not guarantee that Easter egg hunts will remain illness-free.
As leaving cooked eggs for too long — two hours or more — can turn them into a ‘breeding ground for bacteria’, he noted.
Warm temperatures exacerbate this risk.
‘Temperatures during this time of the year can vary throughout the day, with sporadic occurrences of frost on the ground in the morning followed by warm and sunny afternoons,’ Dr Allison said.
As well as causing eggs to spoil and develop an unpleasant odour and taste, it can also make them unsafe to eat, due to the increased risk of food poisoning, he added.
Where not to hide eggs this Easter
Charlotte Faure Green, who is a BANT Registered Nutritionist said: ‘Whilst the risk of eggs containing the harmful bacteria salmonella (prevalent in poultry products) has reduced in the UK, there is still a chance that eggs may contain it, and children are particularly vulnerable to a nasty case of food-poisoning.’
She recommends avoiding the following hiding places:
- In direct sunlight, for example on window ledges
- Near radiators
- In laundry cupboards or near boilers
- In bathrooms, or near underfloor pipes
- In playrooms, or anywhere they may be discovered at a later date
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