First Nation diets to be studied

The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES) is coming to communities in Ontario.
The Assembly of First Nations made the announcement May 6.
The study will document both the nutritional benefits of First Nations diets, food and water as well as the impacts caused by exposures to environmental contaminants.
"The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study will help shed light on the concerns our citizens have here in Ontario regarding contamination of water and traditional foods and will explore the health benefits of maintaining a traditional diet,” said AFN Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse. “This study will provide valuable baseline data that First Nations can use now and in the future."
About 18 communities will be invited to participate in the survey over a two-year period starting this summer. The research will be conducted in compliance with the principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession). The Assembly of First Nations has partnered with the University of Northern British Columbia and the Université de Montréal to complete the work.
The study will include: household dietary interviews, tap water sampling for trace metals, surface water sampling for pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, hair sampling for mercury exposure and traditional food sampling for nutrient and contaminant content.