Pink ring in hard boiled egg yolk

[TeaLady]

I'm not sure which forum I should post this in, but here's the deal:

We hard-boiled a bunch of eggs, and when we cut them open a few of them had a thin pink layer that shows up as a ring about 1/8th inch inside of the edge of the yolk. There has not been a rooster around these girls for over a month.

Any idea what this is? Are the eggs safe to eat?

 

[cgrannygo]

Help, I have the same question as TeaLady. Why do my hard boiled eggs have pink rings? Can I eat them?

 

[kkinenen]

USDA says toss it

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...ration/shell-eggs-from-farm-to-table/ct_index

Is the appearance of eggs related to food safety?
Sometimes, but not usually. Variation in egg color is due to many factors.

• Blood spots are caused by a rupture of one or more small blood vessels in the yolk at the time of ovulation. It does not indicate the egg is unsafe.
• A cloudy white (albumen) is a sign the egg is very fresh. A clear egg white is an indication the egg is aging.
• Pink or iridescent egg white (albumen) indicates spoilage due to Pseudomonas bacteria. Some of these microorganisms—which produce a greenish, fluorescent, water-soluble pigment—are harmful to humans.
• The color of yolk varies in shades of yellow depending upon the diet of the hen. If she eats plenty of yellow-orange plant pigments, such as from marigold petals and yellow corn, the yolk will be a darker yellow than if she eats a colorless diet such as white cornmeal. Artificial color additives are not permitted in eggs.
• A green ring on a hard-cooked yolk can be a result of overcooking, and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting on the yolk's surface. The green color can also be caused by a high amount of iron in the cooking water. Scrambled eggs cooked at too high a temperature or held on a steam table too long can also develop a greenish cast. The green color is safe to consume.