WASHINGTON -- The peanut-processing company at the center of a salmonella outbreak had a history of salmonella contamination, but the top executive, concerned about losing money, told employees to ship suspect products anyway, lawmakers said at a congressional hearing Wednesday.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee's investigations panel heard testimony from victims' families, federal and state officials and private laboratories that had done testing for Peanut Corp. of America, the company accused of shipping peanut products it knew were contaminated. Peanut Corp. President Stewart Parnell, and the manager of the Blakely, Ga., plant to which the outbreak has been traced, Sammy Lightsey, refused to answer questions, invoking their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves.

Meanwhile, Ohio health officials reported another death linked to the outbreak, bringing the number of deaths to nine. In addition, at least 600 people in 44 states have been sickened, and nearly 2,000 products containing peanuts -- from bulk peanut butter sold to schools and nursing homes, to ice cream, cookies, crackers and granola bars -- have been recalled.

Internal company emails released by the House committee Wednesday showed that Mr. Parnell told the plant manager, Mr. Lightsey, to "turn them loose" after being informed that some products had tested positive for salmonella. "We need to protect ourselves and the problem is that the tests absolutely give us no protection, just an indication at best," Mr. Parnell wrote to Mr. Lightsey in an Oct. 6, 2008, email after he was told of lab tests that came back positive for salmonella.

"We need to discuss this," Mr. Parnell told Mr. Lightsey in the email. "The time lapse, besides the cost is costing us huge $$$$$ and causing obviously a huge lapse in time from the time we pick up peanuts until the time we can invoice."