In January 2021, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation approved seal oil to be served at a Maniilaq elder care home, believed to be a first for seal oil in the U.S. (Maniilaq Association via AP)ANCHORAGE, Alaska ā Seal oil has been a staple in the diet of Alaskaās Inupiat for generations.
1 crucial food that everybody wanted was seal oil, but we werenāt able to give them that,ā he said.
Discussions were initiated to determine the safety risk of seal oil and possible ways to control it.
āYou know, we could boil it, but thatās going to change the whole characterization, the whole nutritional value of seal oil," Dankmeyer said.
Researchers discovered that heating seal oil at 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius) for 2Ā½ minutes destroys the toxins.