FAQs

1. Is it safe to eat eggs with traces of egg color?

As the eggshell consists of a porous layer of lime, small cracks may appear during cooking. This can cause some color to seep into the egg. However, these are only minor visual impairments, as we only use food colorings and food additives for our egg dyes that are harmless to health.

HEITMANN egg colors produced in Germany are made exclusively from ingredients that are approved for use in food in accordance with European legislation and are subject to the strictest legal controls. The ingredients are mixtures of food additives and other food ingredients that are declared on the packaging. The consumption of colored eggs is therefore absolutely safe.

2. Why do eggs take on different colors?
   

No two eggs are the same: As eggs are a natural product with fluctuating properties, different color results can also occur – especially with dip dyeing. Eggs with an above-average natural wax layer have less adhesion of the dye, so the color tone will be correspondingly lighter. The same applies to eggs with a relatively unstable, porous shell or a shell with different thicknesses. The dyeing result can also be weaker or more irregular in these cases and more staining can be observed.

Regardless of the properties of the eggshell, some egg dyes, e.g. Marble Effect or Brilliant Egg, always produce very brilliant results because they do not dye the shell itself, but the dye is fixed by the binder contained in the egg dye. As the dye is in the binding agent and not on the surface of the egg, these dyes also stain the inside of eggs with a damaged surface less.

3. Why do eggs sometimes stain your hands?

Eggs with an above-average natural wax layer have less adhesion of the color – it may stain slightly. The same applies to eggs with a relatively unstable, porous shell.

Practical tips:

Colored eggs stain less if they are coated with a little fat (cooking oil, bacon rind) after dyeing. This also makes them particularly shiny and the colors appear brighter and more intense.

Moisture causes the egg dye to come off more easily. Therefore, do not place dyed eggs on damp surfaces or touch them with wet hands. If you keep them in the fridge before eating them, they are best stored in a cardboard egg carton, which keeps out or absorbs some of the moisture in the fridge.

4. How can I remove egg color from skin and textiles?

Egg dyes can dye skin and textiles very intensively and also adhere to them quite strongly.

Egg paint on the hands can usually be removed with hand wash paste. If light paint residues remain, repeat the washing process several times.

First rinse out as much egg color on textiles as possible with cold water, then wash. If necessary, soak in a detergent solution (warm water and detergent) beforehand. For stubborn stains, add HEITMANN pure Oxi Color to the washing solution and soak for approx. 4 hours. Please carry out a color fastness test on the fabric before this soaking treatment – see Oxi Color instructions. Repeat the treatment if necessary.

5. Which egg colors are gluten-free?

All products in our egg dye range are gluten-free.

6. Do egg dyes contain azo dyes?

Some of the HEITMANN egg dyes contain azo dyes, which cannot always be completely dispensed with in the production of egg dyes for nuanced color richness and optimum color intensity.

For consumers who generally reject the use of azo dyes, we offer egg colors with natural-based dyes. We also offer egg dyes based on coloring plant concentrates.

7. What is in these natural egg dyes?

These colors use plant concentrates from hibiscus, thistle and red radish.

8. Can’t you just use beet juice, onion skins or similar directly for coloring?

Of course you can. The difference is that it is much more laborious, costly and time-consuming. In order to dye eggs with vegetables, a large quantity of the vegetables in question is required, which must be boiled for a longer period of time (30-60 minutes). After straining, the broth must be collected and vinegar added. The egg can then be dyed in this dye bath, although usually only a hint of color is transferred to the egg and only a very low color intensity is achieved. The effort involved is many times greater and the result cannot be compared with HEITMANN egg dyes.

9. The pharmacist didn’t want to sell me madder root for dyeing eggs, saying it wasn’t suitable. Is that true?

Yes, not everything that comes from nature is suitable for food, not even for coloring eggs. In particular, madder root, bluewood, redwood and sandalwood are not approved as food additives – for good reason. Madder root, for example, contains components that are suspected of having a carcinogenic effect. Therefore, for your own safety: stay away from such substances that are not legally approved for use in food, which are unfortunately often offered on the Internet as a “natural alternative” for coloring eggs.

10. Can you blow out eggs with your mouth?

Better not. The egg shell may contain impurities. There is also a high risk of salmonella in raw eggs. But there are practical little helpers. Without “mouth contact”, but according to the pump principle, “emptying eggs” is very easy with the HEITMANN egg dye Pustemeister.