With Easter around the corner, food safety experts say you can still dye Easter eggs and eat them safely if you handle them right. Experts say you should first hard boil your eggs to reduce the risk of salmonella, and then follow the household two-hour rule for the amount of time eggs are safe at room temperature. Both artificial and natural food dyes are fine to use, so long as they are labeled food grade. But if you're planning on an egg hunt outdoors, it may be best to go with plastic eggs, and keep the dyed eggs for your Easter spread.