Food safe guidelines for cooking and coloring Easter eggs include:

• Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with one inch of water. 
• Add a tbs. of vinegar to the water for better egg dying color. 
• Bring the eggs to a boil. 
• Remove them remove them from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Eggs should be well cooked until both the egg and the yolk are firm.  Undercooked eggs are more prone to contamination.
• Cool rapidly by running cold water over them or placing them in ice water.  If they are not going to be colored immediately they should be stored in the refrigerator.  
• Discard any egg that is cracked, broken or leaking.
• Wash hands prior to decorating eggs.
• Do not to handle the eggs excessively.
• Return the egg to the refrigerator immediately after coloring. 
• Use only food grade colorings. 
• Ensure that the dye should is warmer then the egg.  This helps to prevent the color from permeating the eggshell.  If the dye does discolor the inside of the egg, contamination could have entered in the same way as the dye. 
• Use for decoration only those eggs that have been outside of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
• Store hard-boiled eggs at refrigerated temperatures for no longer then one week. 

Improperly handled eggs increase the incidence of salmonella food poisoning.  The most vulnerable to food borne illness are children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems due to steroid use, aides, cancer, diabetes or those taking immunosuppressant drugs.  Enjoy your holiday and be safe.