LEBANON, Tenn. — Nineteen employees were taken to hospitals after workers at a Walmart distribution center in Lebanon reported possible foodborne illness symptoms following a shared meal, prompting a multi-agency emergency response Thursday. Responders assessed as many as 30 people at the facility. Officials initially believed up to 80 workers could be affected, Wilson County Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Maegan Eldridge said, leading the agency to request additional help. Workers told officials they had eaten two to three hours before reporting symptoms. Wilson County EMA, Mt. Juliet Emergency Medical Services and Rutherford County EMS responded. Emergency personnel checked workers’ symptoms and vital signs, then assessed whether hospital transport was needed, Eldridge said. “It’s not unusual for us to go for somebody that says, ‘I may have eaten something bad’ and has some kind of stomach bug or stomach ache,” Eldridge said. “But to this scale, it’s not normal for us to go on to something this large.” The Tennessee Department of Health is investigating with support from the Mid-Cumberland Regional Health Office and the Wilson County Health Department. Officials have not identified what caused the illnesses. Walmart said employees had gathered to eat before becoming sick and that something they ate may have been responsible. The company said its products were not the source and there was no risk to the public. In a statement, Walmart said associate health and safety were a priority and that it was working with emergency management and health officials.