The owners of the two factory egg farms behind the recent salmonella outbreak appeared before a House panel on Wednesday as part of a congressional probe. Orland Bethel, the president of Hillandale Farms, refused to answer questions, citing his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination. Executives from Wright County Egg, meanwhile, apologized for the outbreak but faced new questions about hazardous and unsanitary conditions found in recent inspections at their facilities. The outbreak led to recall orders for over 500 million eggs. More than 1,500 salmonella cases were reported, but federal health officials believe the actual number could be as high as 48,000.