Inuit foods and diet: a preliminary assessment of benefits and risks

Traditional Inuit foods are contaminated with chemical residues from industrial and other activities around the world. The intake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated camphenes (PCCs) exceeds the 'tolerable daily intake' (TDI) for many consumers. The implications of long term contaminant intake, even for single contaminants, are not known and will be difficult or impossible to determine in the foreseeable future. Traditional foods form a substantial part of the Inuit diet and are a major source of energy and essential nutrients. Available alternative imported foods are nutritionally inferior and substitution may lead to nutritional deficiencies and associated risks to health and to the social and cultural life of Arctic communities.