Practice of seal consumption by humans continues today in Japan, Canada and Norway.
Two species were evaluated by the Department of Biology of the University of Bergen and the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research.
In general, both the meat and blubber can be considered to be high quality food in terms of bioactive components and nutrients.
On average, a woman's recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 and iron can be met with only 40 grams of seal meat.
A significant difference between species was found in the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content of both the meat and blubber.