After reports of 29 illnesses in 14 states, Food giant ConAgra was placed in the awkward position of issuing a national recall of all Marie Callender brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals, linked to an outbreak of salmonella Chester, regardless of their date of manufacture.

C ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods of Council Bluffs, Iowa's Teresa Paulsen says over 8.4 million of this particular frozen dinner is sold every year, though it is not know how many are currently in supermarkets and customers freezers right now.

While, William Keene, an epidemiologist with the state of Oregon, who is part of the national investigation of the outbreak said there are 29 laboratory confirmed cases, which means hundreds of people could have fallen ill.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, 38 people fall sick for every lab-confirmed-salmonella case.

It does not appear the outbreak will be over soon, as some people may have bought the food in bulk, and will eat them over several months.

Paulsen recommends all those who purchased these products to throw them away, for which they will get a refund on returning the package to the retailer.

CDC is tracking the outbreak, with all illnesses reported so far, occurring in the months of April and May.

Products affected by the recall included 13-ounce packages of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce.

Anyone with questions regarding the recall may contact ConAgra Foods at 1-866-484-9610.

Usually, within 72 hours of eating Salmonella contaminated food, one can experience diarrheoa, abdominal cramps and fever, with chills, headache, nausea and vomiting associated with the illness lasting up to a week.

The infection can prove life threatening for infants, the elderly and people with impaired immune systems.