Dr. Mohammadreza Razailashkajani

Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease

Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

Panel:

Dr. Jackson, Dr. Matthews, Dr. Montes Niño, and Dr. Jamdar

Dr. Jackson first challenged the audience with the question, “What is food safety?” He asked the question in relation to the immune status of a population. Vibrio in seafood became a focus of the discussion. A scientist from the Pasteur Institute of Iran pointed to the role of food transportation as a cause of Vibrio contamination. He also mentioned anaerobic bacteria as important contaminants of seafood in Iran.

Another challenge came from Dr. Matthews. It concerned the routes by which Salmonella may contaminate vegetables and fresh produce. He explained the role of irrigation water, manure, and the low level of hygiene among farm workers in contributing to the problem of contaminated produce imported into the United States.

Enterococcus faecalis resistance to vancomycin and the ways Staphylococcus aureus could contaminate food were the next topics. Dr. Salmanzadeh, a microbiologist from the Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, raised a question about the methods used in the United States to estimate incidence of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

The safety of food produced using bioengineering and the ways of implementing food safety measures in the United States were the next topics. Dr. Matthews answered the final questions, which addressed the role of chlorine as a disinfectant in slaughterhouses, future alternatives, and the ways that the government of the United States controls imported foods.