Traditional Food Safety Workshop Given in a Cree Community

Dr André Dallaire, pathologist at CCWHC – Quebec Regional Center, was in Chisasibi from March 5th to 9th to participate in a “traditional foods” workshop. The workshop was part of a larger project to provide local long term care patients with traditional foods, which are recognized for their nutritional and cultural value. To ensure the safety of the wild meat provided to the hospital for these patients, a training session was given to hunters/trappers from different coastal Cree communities to help them recognize abnormal and significant changes while eviscerating wild animals. The training involved lectures on common diseases of the species the hunters/trappers are authorized to give to the Chisasibi hospital, a practical segment that involved opening and examining several birds, small mammals and fish and a short training/certification on safe food handling. Two elders from one community also participated in the training by sharing their traditional knowledge on capture, preparation and conservation of traditional foods. A colleague from the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), Dr André Désilets, also participated.