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The owner of one of the egg farms implicated in the salmonella outbreak has apologized on Wednesday to anyone who was harmed by consuming the tainted eggs, while another owner refused to answer queries about his farm operations.

“We apologize to everyone who may have been sickened by eating our eggs. I pray several times each day for all of them and for their improved health,” said Austin “Jack” DeCoster, owner of Wright County Egg, before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

DeCoster’s chicken and hog farms had received numerous citations by state regulators, but he said that his company’s sanitary compliance was compromised as business expanded.

“I accept responsibility for those mistakes in our operations,” DeCoster told the committee.

Meanwhile, Hillandale Farms of Iowa president Orland Bethel cited the Fifth Amendment in refusing to answer the House subcommittee’s questions, avoiding self-incrimination regarding the sanitary conditions at one of his farms.

The salmonella outbreak downed more than 1,600 people and prompted the recall of half a billion eggs.

Duane Mangskau, production representative of Hillandale said during the hearing that the recall has made his company “take a hard look at our operations.”

“And even if the source of the salmonella illness is never confirmed, where we have fallen short in Iowa, we are committed to improving our operations,” he said.

Mangskau added that his company has severed marketing ties with another DeCoster-owned farm “because we were disappointed with the test results there.”