Food Maker CEOs Face House Grilling

NEW YORK — Lawmakers and food company CEOs come face-to-face Tuesday in a special hearing to address food safety lapses following this month's largest beef recall in U.S. history.

The hearing, titled " Contaminated Food: Private Sector Accountability," is being called by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subpanel responsible for probing food safety issues.

"We will have before us the presidents and CEOs of some of the companies that have produced contaminated food in the past year," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the House Energy Committee chairman, in a statement.

"I look forward to not only asking them why the incidents involving their products occurred, but also what our regulators were doing during these incidents," said Dingell, is an ex-officio member of the subpanel.

Among the executives scheduled to testify is Steve Mendell, CEO of Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., but Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said that Mendell has refused to appear voluntarily. He and other lawmakers will discuss whether to issue a subpoena, he said.

Read the full CNNMoney.com story here.