Various menu items from the Hickory Hill location of A&R Bar-B-Q are being tested for contamination in a public health laboratory as investigators try to pinpoint the cause of a Memphis Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than two dozen people.

National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who is representing individuals who were infected, is closely watching the investigation and weighing legal options for his clients. Pritzker broke the news of the outbreak to the Memphis community by announcing Wednesday that many victims had attended a July 10 picnic for the 2009 Harston Family Reunion. The event was catered by the Hickory Hill A&R Bar-B-Q restaurant.

Hours after Pritzker made the announcement, the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department confirmed the investigation, which is being conducted in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Health. Health department officials have since announced that preliminary tests indicate that more than two dozen people developed Salmonella.

Pritzker, the founder of the Pritzker Olsen law firm, has told television and newspaper reporters in the region that several family members were hospitalized with severe stomach cramps and dehydration. Anyone who got sick from eating food from A&R on or around July 10 and 11 can contact the law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), email Fred at fhp@pritzkerlaw.com or complete our online consultation form. Case consultations are free.

In Memphis, the Hickory Hill location of A&R restaurant has been closed since last Saturday for food safety retraining, a health department review and self-inspection.