Dietitians at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas say egg artisans can help prevent illness -- and possibly a trip to the local emergency room -- by deciding prior to coloring whether they plan to eat their works of art.

"If you want to eat decorated hard-cooked eggs, be sure that all the decorating materials are food-safe and that you wash each egg beforehand," Vickie Vaclavik, a registered dietitian and clinical nutritionist says in a statement. "Also, wash your hands between all the cooking, cooling, dyeing and decorating processes and keep the finished hard-cooked eggs refrigerated as much as possible."

Vaclavik says individuals who "hide" eggs should carefully place the eggs, considering location to ensure that the decorated eggs aren't tainted by contamination from animals or lawn chemicals.