News bites: Del Monte fights food-safety regs as tainted cantaloupes kill 8

Del Monte Fresh Produce is trying to block restrictions on melon imports, setting off an unusual battle over food-safety regulations, reports The New York Times.

Meanwhile, listeria-tainted cantaloupes from Colorado have been linked to eight deaths, the most deadly outbreak in three years, according to The Associated Press.

Senate appropriators cleared a $70 billion HHS spending bill for FY 2012 along party lines, reports Modern Healthcare. [subscription required]

Consumer groups are objecting to Georgia's request for a delay in implementing the healthcare law's medical loss ratio requirement, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kentucky is delaying the launch of its Medicaid program until Nov. 1, reports The Associated Press.

As businesses steer workers toward lower-priced care, some advocates worry about what that means for quality of care, writes Kaiser Health News.

The Labor Department has sued a Massachusetts dentist who allegedly fired an employee who raised concerns about unsafe needle disposal practices.