Coloured eggs from the supermarket: What you need to know about the colourful Easter eggs

Dyed eggs from the supermarket are convenient because they are already cooked and coloured – at Easter, this is a welcome time-saver for many consumers. But the coloured eggs also have disadvantages.

Coloured eggs from the supermarket – little information on the pack

In the past, dyed eggs were only found on supermarket shelves around Easter time. Now they are available all year round.

• As convenient as the already cooked eggs are, a lot of information is missing on the packaging.

• While raw eggs have to be labelled and get a proof of origin and type of animal husbandry printed on them, the colourful Easter eggs from the shelf do not have to show any of these labels. The reason for this is that they are no longer considered “eggs” but a “processed egg product”. The pack only shows the manufacturer and the best-before date.

• You don’t know where the eggs come from and whether they are organic, free-range, floor-raised or cage-raised. However, you can usually assume that the cheaper caged eggs are used.

• One exception is coloured eggs whose packaging has the “KAT” seal. This seal is awarded by the “Verein für kontrollierte alternative Tierhaltungsformen KAT” (Association for Controlled Alternative Animal Husbandry) and guarantees that the eggs come from floor, free-range or organic farming.

• The eggs are not really evenly coloured, but they shine beautifully. This is because the manufacturers seal the eggs with a mixture of shellac and palm wax after cooking and dyeing. The colours and sealant are approved as food additives and are therefore harmless.

Easter eggs from the supermarket – shelf life and storage

Coloured Easter eggs from the supermarket generally have a long shelf life.

• An egg is perfectly packaged by nature: the shell protects the inside from germs. The shelf life of the eggs is further extended by the sealing described in the first paragraph. The fact that the eggs are cooked is also crucial for the shelf life.

• However, cracks can appear in the shell during cooking – ideal entry points for germs. You can easily see this with the coloured eggs from the supermarket: When you peel them, you often find colour on the egg itself – here the shell cracked during cooking, allowing colour to get inside the egg.

• For this reason, the eggs should also be kept in the refrigerator. If the shell is damaged, refrigeration will keep the germ load low. Since the eggs are not in the refrigerated section in the supermarket, it is therefore also worth taking a look at the best-before date. Look for the longest possible shelf life, then you can assume that the eggs have not been stored unrefrigerated for that long.

• Even though the dyed eggs from the supermarket are convenient, dyeing Easter eggs yourself is a lovely tradition and a more animal-friendly alternative.