• To prevent the spread of dirt and germs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling eggs at every preparation step, including cooking, cooling, dyeing, and hiding.
• Keep hard-cooked Easter eggs refrigerated until just before the hunt. Cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying.
• Hide eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets, and other potential sources of bacteria.
• After the hunt, discard eggs that are cracked or dirty. Bacteria can enter eggs through cracks in the shell.
• Rinse uncracked eggs, then place them back in the refrigerator until it's time to eat them.

• Before preparing and cooking foods, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water. If soap and water won't be available, bring alcohol-based wipes or gel formulas for cleaning hands.
• When preparing fruit or veggie salads, thoroughly rinse fresh produce under running water before serving, especially fruits that require peeling or cutting, like cantaloupe and other melons.
• Take only the amount of food that will be eaten to avoid having leftovers that might not be able to be stored safely.

Eating Out in Spring!
Many of your springtime celebrations may take place in restaurants. To keep your baby safe, it's important to be aware of risky foods that might be on the menu. Here's a list of foods you should avoid and why.

Risky Orders
Caesar salad dressing, custards, and sauces that are made with raw (uncooked) eggs
Why? Harmful bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked eggs.

Raw or undercooked fish (such as sushi or sashimi) or foods made with raw fish
Why? Raw fish is more likely to contain parasites or bacteria than cooked fish.

Swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark
Why? These fish can contain high levels of methylmercury, a metal that can be harmful to your unborn baby. It's okay to eat other cooked fish/seafood as long as a variety of other kinds are selected during pregnancy or while a woman is trying to become pregnant. She can eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week. For more information, see Methylmercury.

Sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean) 
Why? Bacteria can get into the sprout seeds through cracks in the shell before the sprouts are grown. Once this occurs, these bacteria are nearly impossible to wash out. And, thoroughly cooking sprouts doesn't guarantee that you've gotten rid of harmful bacteria.

Juices by the glass
Why? Juices that are fresh-squeezed and sold by the glass at some juice bars, for example, may not be pasteurized or otherwise treated to ensure their safety. Warning labels are not required on these products. Pregnant women and young children should avoid these juices.