Food processing course aims to make traditional food market-ready

A new traditional foods processing course in Inuvik, N.W.T., is aimed athelpingextend the shelf-life of country food and make it more readily available in northern supermarkets.

Frank Elanik cooks country food, but he said he'snever thought of making reindeer breakfast patties, like hewas doing on Monday.

"It's quite an experience," he said.

The pilot programis teaching participants skills such asmaking sausage, how to vacuum seal fish and even how to can muktuk.

"[We're] trying to find ways to use bits and pieces of meat that are generally discarded and make them shelf stable, make them market ready," saidJirriRaska,the project's director.

"There's a growing demand from the tourism sector to try to access these foods. There's a growing demand in terms of food security to try and access these foods."

Most of the coursetakes place in trailers retrofitted with equipment such assinks, canners and meat grinders.

The territorial government is supporting the program and it's being run in conjunction with Aurora College and the economic development arm of the Inuvialuit group. They hope to bring thecourse to communities around the Beaufort-Delta region.