Traditional Food Studies

Providing science-based assessments to quantify contaminant concentrations and exposure risks from traditional food consumption. These studies integrate Indigenous Knowledge provided by the communities with quantitative analyses to enhance food sovereignty and to increase confidence in traditional food consumption.

Traditional foods are those foods harvested from both the land and water, and include fish, large and small game animals, sea mammals, birds and plants.  Traditional food studies (sometimes referred to as country food studies) involve the collection of traditional food samples by trained community harvesters and analysis of trace contaminants (both organic and inorganic) at accredited laboratories.  Traditional food studies can combine concentrations of contaminants in harvested foods with community consumption rates to evaluate potential health risks from the ingestion of traditional foods and provide assurance as to the quality and safety of locally sourced foods.

When is a traditional food study conducted?

Traditional food studies are often conducted to address community concerns regarding food quality or to evaluate traditional foods prior to or subsequent to industrial development.  They are also conducted to assess potential risks associated with traditional food consumption in cases where industrial development has encroached on traditional harvesting territories.

What is the role of the community in traditional food studies?

Community members can be involved in traditional food studies in many ways, such as participating on Steering Committees, undertaking training to deliver surveys, completing questionnaires regarding food consumption and collecting food samples.  The findings are typically presented in both oral and written form at community meetings and open houses, and as both a technical report and a plain language summary.

How Intrinsik can help

Intrinsik is an environmental consulting firm with significant expertise in the completion of traditional food studies.  Our scientists have completed numerous food studies alongside First Nations across Canada, including British Columbia (BC), Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Our scientists also have undertaken peer reviews of traditional food consumption assessment studies resulting in consumption information for Indigenous Peoples (Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Newfoundland and Labrador).  Many of the studies completed have been approved through the Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada Research Ethics Board, with a number of studies funded through Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada or the BC First Nations Health Authority.

Our traditional food study services include:

• Completion of community specific studies integrating foods selected by communities to address food quality concerns.
• Community training courses on traditional food quality studies and their integration into environmental assessment to both federal and provincial health departments.
• Consultation with First Nations throughout the environmental impact assessment process on mitigation measures to protect traditional food quality.

Examples of traditional food studies completed by Intrinsik

Intrinsik has produced several peer reviewed papers related to the traditional food studies that we have completed including:

• Lead exposure through consumption of small game harvested using lead-based ammunition and the corresponding health risks to First Nations in Alberta, Canada
• Cadmium tissue concentration in kidney, liver, and muscle in moose (Alces alces)  from First Nations communities in Northern Alberta
• Whole fish vs. fish fillet — The risk implications for First Nations subsistence consumers
• Assessment of exposure to chlorinated organics through the ingestion of moose meat for a Canadian First Nation community
• Impacts of traditional food consumption advisories: Compliance, changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods
• Improving risk assessment calculations for Traditional Foods through collaborative research with First Nations communities

More Information

For more information on traditional food studies please check out our blog