Foodmakers, agencies blamed for recall 'mess'

House panel probing recalls say companies and federal agencies can't be relied upon to protect American consumers..

House lawmakers, calling the U.S. food safety system "fragile" and a "mess," harshly chastised leading food companies and federal agencies Tuesday for allowing unsafe products to reach American consumers.

"Over the last 18 months we've had E.coli in bagged spinach, salmonella found in tomatoes, lettuce contaminated with E.coli at Taco Bell, frozen pot pies contaminated with salmonella," Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said at a House Energy and Commerce Committee subpanel hearing probing food safety issues.

Stupak, chairman of the oversight and investigation subcommittee, also highlighted this month's recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef produced by Westland/Hallmark - the largest in U.S. history - after a video showed potentially sick cows being dragged to the slaughterhouse.