The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) failed to notify state and local officials about food contaminated by ammonia and allowed dangerous beef patties, chicken tenders and potato wedges to be shipped to school lunch programs across the state of Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. Forty-two children and teachers at an elementary school in Joliet, Ill., were sickened and rushed to the hospital in November of 2002 after eating contaminated chicken tenders, found to contain 133 times the accepted level for ammonia. An ammonia leak at Gateway Cold Storage in St. Louis tainted thousands of cases of food, some of which were bound for Illinois schools, in November of 2001. A USDA inspector, stationed at the food storage facility in connection with a separate food safety investigation, was present around the time of the leak but did not inform schools or health officials of the incident. USDA officials maintain that it was Gateway's responsibility to notify affected entities. State and local officials quarantined food at the storage facility after cafeteria workers complained of odors from shipments. But these officials claim they were undermined when the USDA, which regulates meat and poultry for school lunches, allowed Gateway to continue shipping the ammonia-soaked products -- an allegation the agency denies. The USDA, Food and Drug Administration, and the Illinois State Board of Education are investigating.