Congress questions egg producers on recall

Two of more than 1,500 consumers sickened by salmonella contamination that prompted the recall of 500 million eggs told a Congressional committee their horror stories today as officials of two egg companies apologized to legislators skeptical they had really reformed.

"What we learned about the two Iowa egg operations that produced the tainted eggs paint a very disturbing picture of egg production in American," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee holding the hearing, citing evidence uncovered by the panel of repeated contamination problems over the year.

During the hearing, lawmakers repeatedly castigated senators for failing so far to pass legislation to improve food safety, and questioned company officials, one of whom declined to testify. It was the testimony by Sarah Lewis, a 30-year-old California mother of two, and Carol Lobato, a 77-year-old grandmother, that showcased the very personal costs of the contamination.