Nestle has announced a Lean Cuisine spaghetti and meatball recall affecting more than 17,000 packages as the result of consumers finding pieces of red plastic in their food.

Nestle has suggested that the plastic came from a red emergency stop button, although the plant where the packages were produced reports no buttons were broken and the "emergency stop" buttons were not located near food transit locations.

If you believe you have purchased an affected product, you can contact the company directly through its website.

The recently enacted Food Safety Law aims at protecting consumer from harm as the result of contaminated food products and food borne illnesses both by lessening their frequency and imposing penalties. If you have become sick or suffered harm as the result of consuming or purchasing a contaminated product, contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer to begin investigating your case.

The new laws hope to make your food safer and include the following important provisions:

• Mandatory recalls - The FDA may now order a company to recall a product were a company fails to initiate one.

• Mandatory inspection - The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to rank the food facilities with the highest risk for contamination and inspect the facilities at least once every three years.

• Greater access to food facilities records.

• More control over standards for imported food.

•Implementation of preventative measures, including the identification of critical points where food could become contaminated.

Significantly, the new law subjects companies that violate the act to fines as well as potential lawsuits and shields "whistle-blowers" from retaliation.

For more information about the Lean Cuisine recall, the Food Safety Act or if you have been harmed by a contaminated food product, please contact the experienced Sacramento personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to protecting consumers rights for more than 15 years.