Microbiota in foods from Inuit traditional hunting

Abstract

The foods we eat contain microorganisms that we ingest alongside the food. Industrialized food systems offer great advantages from a safety point of view, but have also been accused of depleting the diversity of the human microbiota with negative implications for human health. In contrast, artisanal traditional foods are potential sources of a diverse food microbiota. Traditional foods of the Greenlandic Inuit are comprised of animal-sourced foods prepared in the natural environment and are often consumed raw. These foods, some of which are on the verge of extinction, have not previously been microbiologically characterized. We mapped the microbiota of foods stemming from traditional Inuit land-based hunting activities. The foods included in the current study are dried muskox and caribou meat, caribou rumen and intestinal content as well as larval parasites from caribou hides, all traditional Inuit foods. This study shows that traditional drying methods are efficient for limiting microbial growth through desiccation. The results also show the rumen content of the caribou to be a highly diverse source of microbes with potential for degradation of plants. Finally, a number of parasites were shown to be included in the biodiversity of the assessed traditional foods. Taken together, the results map out a diverse source of ingested microbes and parasites that originate from the natural environment. These results have implications for understanding the nature-sourced traditional Inuit diet, which is in contrast to current day diet recommendations as well as modern industrialized food systems.

Inuit Country Food and Health during Pregnancy and Early Childhood in the Circumpolar North: A Scoping Review

“…For Inuit communities, country food is a source of many nutrients that support good health, including protein, iron, zinc, vitamins A, D, B 12 , and n-3 fatty acids; country food is also important for cultural and spiritual well-being [ 6 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. While the range of nutrients supplied by various Inuit country food has been described [ 32 ], considering the traditional (pre-colonial) Inuit diet is made up largely of animal-based foods, further work needs to advance global dietary guidelines to consider the principles of food sovereignty [ 33 ].…”

Indigenous Knowledge and the Microbiome—Bridging the Disconnect between Colonized Places, Peoples, and the Unseen Influences That Shape Our Health and Well-Being

“…Underrepresentation notwithstanding, there are growing numbers of Indigenous scientists who are conducting microbial research through a uniquely Indigenous lens and/or directed by Indigenous knowledge ( 48 , 49 ). Aviaja Hauptmann, a microbiologist with Inuit heritage, born in Nuuk, Greenland, now leads research on the Greenland Diet Revolution Project, centering on the fermented and animal-sourced Indigenous diet of the Inuit ( 50 , 51 ). Chris Pairama and Te Rangitākuku Kaihoro (from Ngāti Whatua and Te Arawa/Ngāti Tūwharetoa, respectively—tribes of New Zealand’s North Island) are leading efforts to incorporate mātauranga (Māori knowledge) into native plant and anti-pathogen identification, as a way to enact kaitiakitanga (environmental stewardship) and combat kauri dieback (Phytophthora agathidicida) ( 52 ).…”

Characterization of the food microbiota in ready-to-eat Mexican foods.

“…Foods that are suitable for human consumption are not free of microorganisms, the dishes that we consume regularly, in addition to containing nutrients that contribute to our health, are full of microorganisms contributed by each ingredient [1]. The ready-to-eat food microbiota are the microorganisms present in the dishes that are currently consumed during the meals These microorganisms include those that may have a health benefit such as probiotics, or may be potentially pathogenic, in addition to others that have not yet been described or given a function [2].…”

“…The cheeses are an example of ingredients in the recipe of some dishes that contribute to the microbiota present in the ready-to-eat food, ingested almost three times every day by the commensals [4]. Although the microbiota which is present in the food ingredients is usually well characterized [5], the reports about the characterization of the microbiota present in ready-to-eat food are scarce [6]. In this work we explored the microbiota present in ready-to-eat Mexican dishes with the purpose of characterizing the bacterial communities which are ingested in the everyday feeding.…”