Is there a history of similar claims before or after the claimant consumed the vendor’s food?
If so, attention should be drawn to whether there are any similarities between the claimant’s situation and the other claims (i.e., time of year, type of food involved or similar employees). Was the potentially contaminated product one that would have been distributed to other locations? If so, check with the other locations to see whether any similar complaints were filed there. This is yet another way to find similar cases and facilitate the process of narrowing down the source. Once potential sources have been identified and narrowed down, then the next step in effective case handling is to preserve samples of the potential sources. This can be done in a variety of ways. Is there any leftover food from the meal that the claimant consumed? Any remaining food should be immediately frozen (or at least refrigerated) so that the proper tests may be conducted. Refrigeration, however, will not hold food for an indefinite period. Therefore, if investigators are contemplating running tests o
