NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Sahtu Settlement Area, South Slave Region

Tags: health, traditional food, chemistry, nutrition

Objective(s): It is recognized that risk and benefit assessments need to include information on food items as consumed. Databases used to process Arctic dietary data include both traditional food (TF) and market food (MF); while most MF items have nutritional information available, the complete profiles of TF are not known. Analysis of dietary data from Dene/Metis, Yukon and Inuit communities have consistently shown that TF provides rich sources of many nutrients. The nutrients for which data are most lacking are those not stable under normal storage conditions, such as vitamins and fatty acids. Nutritionists working with Arctic peoples in the NWT, as well as Nunavut, Alaska and Greenland frequently request data from CINE to assist their work. CINE has identified the the need to address the issue of variability in nutritional data available for TF, particularly for several special interest foods identified by NWT First Nations and Metis. The proposed study will involve the analysis of approximately 50 independent food samples, each for 30 nutrient entities, by CINE, with collaboration of the Nutrient Division of Health Canada for selected vitamins.

Project Description: The Centre for Indigenous People's Nutrition (CINE) has developed the methodologies for analyses of nutrients in traditional food resources of Indigenous Peoples. It is recognized that risk and benefit assessments need to include information on food items as consumed. Databases used to process Arctic dietary data include both traditional food (TF) and market food (MF); while most MF items have nutritional information available, the complete profiles of TF are not known. Analysis of dietary data from Dene/Metis, Yukon and Inuit communities have consistently shown that TF provides rich sources of many nutrients. The nutrients for which data are most lacking are those not stable under normal storage conditions, such as vitamins and fatty acids. Nutritionists working with Arctic peoples in the NWT, as well as Nunavut, Alaska and Greenland frequently request data from CINE to assist their work. CINE has identified the the need to address the issue of variability in nutritional data available for TF, particularly for several special interest foods identified by NWT First Nations and Metis. The proposed study will involve the analysis of approximately 50 independent food samples, each for 30 nutrient entities, by CINE, with collaboration of the Nutrient Division of Health Canada for selected vitamins.