LISTERIA DEATHS RISE: At least nine people have died and 57 have been hospitalized due to a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meat products, according to a Centers for Disease Control update published Wednesday. The deli meat recall is the largest listeria outbreak in the U.S. since 2011, when 33 people died from listeria tied to cantaloupe. The number of illnesses caused by the contaminated deli meat is expected to grow, since listeria symptoms can take up to 10 weeks to appear, per the CDC. Federal inspectors found dozens of violations including the presence of mold, mildew and insects at a Virginia Boar’s Head plant, according to reports obtained first by CBS News. A Boar's Head spokesperson told CBS that food safety is the company’s “absolute priority” and they deeply regret the impact of the recall. All operations at the Virginia plant in question have been suspended. BANNING DYES IN GOLDEN STATE SCHOOLS: California lawmakers on Thursday voted to prohibit the state’s schools from serving food additives used in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Twinkies and other fluorescent snacks, our Blake Jones reports from Sacramento. The move, backers argue, is necessary to limit intake of dyes that have been linked to worsened behavioral issues in kids who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. “California has a responsibility to protect our students from chemicals that harm children and interfere with their ability to learn,” Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the author of the bill, said in a statement. Gov. Gavin Newsom still needs to sign the first-in-the-nation proposal. But fear of a children’s uprising did not prevent him from signing a similar bill last year that outlawed the sale of food containing a dye used in Peeps. Industry opponents have been fighting this year’s bill and disputing reports about its damage to people’s health. “It’s unfortunate that scientifically proven, safe ingredients have been demonized for the purpose of advancing a political agenda,” John Hewitt of the Consumer Brands Association said in a statement. “The passage of this bill could cost schools and families money, limit choice and access, and create consumer confusion.”
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