LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - A federal judge in Virginia is reviewing proposed settlement payments to the families of 53 victims of last year's nationwide salmonella outbreak.

The victims include nine people who died and 44 children who were sickened.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski said Wednesday during a hearing in Lynchburg that he'll make recommendations by the end of next week to U.S. District Court Judge Norman Moon as to whether to approve each payment.

The payments will come from a $12 million pool established by the insurer for Lynchburg-based Peanut Corp. of America.

The outbreak was traced to Peanut Corp.'s plants in Georgia and Texas. It sickened about 700 people and was linked to at least nine deaths.

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Information from: The News & Advance

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