Austin DeCoster, owner of Wright County Egg, and Orland Bethel, president of Hillandale Farms, went before a House subcommittee on Wednesday to answer questions regarding their companies' roles in the August 2010 national egg recall enacted after a salmonella outbreak.
DeCoster apologized, saying he was "horrified" that anyone may have been sickened by his company's eggs. Duane Mangskau, a production representative for Hillandale Farms, said the recall has forced them "to take a hard look at our operations." More than 1,600 illnesses have been linked to the recall. The companies said that the source of the salmonella was likely an ingredient sold to them from an outside supplier. The Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are heading up the ongoing investigation.
