A tentative settlement has been reached in the federal lawsuit filed by 16 former inmates against Kent County, MI, and food vendor Aramark Corp., reports WZZM in Grand Rapids. The proposed settlement is between Aramark Corp. and the former inmates who, along with more than 200 others, claimed to have been sickened by chicken tacos served at the jail in April 2012. Kent County was removed from the lawsuit. The prisoners had argued that the county had increased the risk of food poisoning in order to cut costs. County attorneys countered that the lawsuit was based on only a mild incident that didn’t require hospitalizations or have any long-term health consequences. Aramark, which denied claims of negligence, has provided food service for the Kent County Jail for three years.

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