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What do you all think of eating seal blubber? Update on #6 - dont eat seal!!!

post #1 of 9
Thread Starter 
Does anyone use it? Does it have to be organic? I found it for 20 cents lb, but not sure of the shipping costs. Fermented cod liver oil is so pricey and this sounds really close. I need some thoughts before i take the leap to try this.
Here is some sites I found on it:

Quote:
According to Dr. Price, "Seal oil provides a very important
part of their nutrition. As each piece of fish is broken off, it is dipped in seal oil." He noted that the Eskimos preserve foods like berries and sorrell grass in seal oil. "I obtained some seal oil from them and brought it to my laboratory for analyzing for its vitamin content. It proved to be one of the richest foods in vitamin A that I have found."
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfo...nufacture.html

Quote:
Analysis of seal meat
A study of nutrients in seal blubber and seal meat was recently carried out and published in Food Chemistry (Brunborg et al. 2005). Seal blubber contains high proportions of long chained unsaturated omega- 3 fatty acids and mono unsaturated fatty acids. Seal meat is lean (< 2 % fat) and is protein rich with a well balanced amino acid composition. In addition, it contains a high concentration of minerals, especially iron. Seal meat has high levels of vitamin A, D3 and B12.
http://www.nifes.no/index.php?page_i...=993&lang_id=2


Quote:
Traditional prep

About the blubber
You clean the blubber (fat) from the skin and cut the blubber in strips about 2 by 6 inches and put them in clean barrel and put loose cover on barrel and put the barrel with blubber in dry place where no heat. Pretty soon that blubber will dissolve and become oil and then it will be ready to use with meat or diced fish or green leaves.
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1950s...oked-seal-meat
post #2 of 9
I think it sounds awesome! Were the seals caught wild or farm raised (not sure what you'd call it for seals )? Where did you find it? Would you share the link (if it's online)?

I'm totally interested!
post #3 of 9
there is so much controversy around the seal hunt in Canada. I feel that, like any other meat, if it was raised and slaughtered ethically, then it's probably fine.
I would grab the chance to eat ethical seal meat/blubber.
post #4 of 9
I would be a little hesitant to base any decision on a site that uses the word Eskimo.
post #5 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irishmommy View Post
I would be a little hesitant to base any decision on a site that uses the word Eskimo.
Price's text was published in 1939, so I am inclined to cut him some (posthumous) slack.

Other concerns cited above I agree with. I would also be concerned about mercury and other contaminants (PCBs, for example). Perhaps unnecessarily (fat vs. water storage)? But exciting idea for sure.
post #6 of 9
Thread Starter 

New Health Link- don't eat seal!!!

And I was getting really excited about seal. Oh well, good thing I read this before contaminating myself. Do you still want the link for the source of seal blubber?


http://tippingpointblog.wordpress.co...y/#comment-219
Quote:
“Geir Wing Gabrielsen, who has been conducting research in this area for 20 years, said that levels of Brominated flame retardants are three times higher in Canadian seals than they were 10 years ago.”

- The BBC confirms that brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are being found in animals from the Arctic. People in these areas are being warned by health officials NOT to eat them of the high concentrations of Brominated flame retardants (BFRs).”

“Eating a single one can increase your body burden of these organic pollutants by 10%. We’re advising children and women of child-bearing age not to eat any.” A source told the BBC “They’ve been shown to affect behaviour, particularly brain development, and that sort of effect on learning seems to get worse.””
post #7 of 9
Whoah--no thanks. I was totally unaware of (or just not connecting) the ethical issues around seal hunting. And the BFR issue is very frightening!
post #8 of 9


This is SOOOO sad for traditional arctic people. This is, traditionally, their main diet. And did ANY of them use high levels of BFRs? probably not. I feel so upset by the fact that "civilized" cultures are polluting the very sources of traditional culture's sustenance and telling them not to eat it.
What are they supposed to do? eat the white bread and sugar that CDN culture offers them as an alternative?
post #9 of 9
Thread Starter 

more links:

Quote:
Whale Meat, Seal Meat, and Seafood contain huge doses of Methyl Mercury - A neurotoxin
note: the artice is good, but the video may be disturbing, probably not for kids.
http://paranoids.sakura.ne.jp/youtube/video/xRcEfErT0PE
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Mothering › Forums › Health › Nutrition and Good Eating › Traditional Foods › What do you all think of eating seal blubber? Update on #6 - dont eat seal!!!