Henry A. Waxman, the chairman of House and Energy Commerce, and Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak announced that the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will conduct a hearing on September 14 with regard to the safety of food supplies.

The hearing will examine the safety of food supplies and it will also provide more information about the salmonella outbreak that is associated with chicken eggs.

The salmonella outbreaks are linked with the companies in Iowa, Hillandale farms and Wright County Egg. The two companies both recalled 550 million eggs this month because of salmonella outbreak. The nationwide salmonella outbreak sickened almost 1,300 people.

The committee asked Orland Bethel, the owner of Hillandale farms, and Austin “Jack” DeCoster, the owner of Wright County Egg, to testify in the hearing that will be conducted by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. According to reports, DeCoster has a history of animal cruelty and violations with regard to the safety of workers.

Stupak and Waxman sent letters to the Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ask for some documents and information with regard to the egg recall. The two chairmen also requested documents and information to Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms of Iowa about the salmonella outbreak and the voluntary egg recall.

According to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, chair of the committee that manages the appropriations of FDA and USDA, he sent a letter to both agencies because they did not take action against DeCoster farms. He said that many workers were forced to handle the manure and dead chickens with their bare hands. He also said that the workers were forced to live in filthy trailers.

DeLauro said that different environmental laws were violated repeatedly by the companies and they also failed to disclose its investments in egg operations.