Does Pemmican Have Vitamin C? Debunking the Survival Food Myth

December 23, 2025 •

4 min read

Indigenous peoples historically relied on pemmican to survive harsh winters, preventing the widespread deficiency disease of scurvy that plagued European explorers. But does pemmican have vitamin C in its core ingredients, and how was this major health risk avoided during long periods without fresh fruit? The historical and nutritional facts explain a much more complete diet than often assumed.

Quick Summary

Traditional pemmican, made from dried meat and rendered fat, contains negligible vitamin C, but historical diets incorporated raw organ meats and dried berries to prevent scurvy. The standard dehydration process destroys this nutrient.

Key Points

Basic Pemmican Lacks Vitamin C: Standard pemmican, made from dried meat and rendered fat, contains virtually no vitamin C because the drying and cooking process destroys the nutrient.
Historical Diets Included Organ Meats: Indigenous peoples historically prevented scurvy by consuming raw organ meats, such as adrenal glands and liver, which are surprisingly high in vitamin C.
Berries Provided Vitamin C: Many traditional pemmican recipes included dried berries like chokecherries, saskatoon berries, or cranberries to naturally boost the vitamin C content.
Explorers Faced Scurvy: Unlike Indigenous populations, European explorers who relied solely on pemmican without supplementary sources often developed scurvy on long expeditions.
Modern Pemmican Can Be Fortified: Today, vitamin C can be added to pemmican by including dried fruits or mixing in ascorbic acid powder to ensure nutritional completeness.
Dietary Context Is Key: Pemmican's nutritional value depends on its preparation and consumption within a broader, balanced diet, as historically practiced by Indigenous peoples.

The Nutritional Profile of Basic Pemmican

At its most fundamental, pemmican consists of dried, pounded meat mixed with rendered animal fat, or tallow. This highly caloric and shelf-stable combination is a nutritional powerhouse of protein, fat, and minerals like iron and zinc. However, the core ingredients alone contain almost no vitamin C.

The reason for the vitamin's absence lies in its delicate chemical structure. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is highly susceptible to heat and air exposure. The meticulous process of drying meat completely removes all moisture, and the subsequent cooking of the tallow destroys any remaining traces. Therefore, a modern, minimalist pemmican bar crafted solely from lean beef and beef tallow will provide excellent energy and macros but will not prevent scurvy on its own. This fundamental lack is the root of the misconception surrounding pemmican's ability to provide a complete diet.

Why European Explorers Suffered from Scurvy

The historical record offers a stark contrast between the health of Indigenous populations and European explorers who adopted pemmican. Arctic and Antarctic expeditions led by figures like Captain Scott often developed severe scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. These explorers made the critical error of believing that pemmican alone was a complete diet, neglecting the crucial supplementary items that were a standard part of Indigenous foodways. Without access to fresh produce, and relying on processed foods like biscuits and tinned meat, their diets were dangerously deficient in vitamin C.

Historical Solutions for Vitamin C Deficiency

Indigenous peoples who relied on pemmican were not ignorant of the need for balanced nutrition. Their diets were holistic, incorporating a variety of food sources and preparation methods that ensured all necessary nutrients were consumed. The two primary ways they obtained vitamin C while eating pemmican were the addition of berries and the consumption of raw organ meats.

The Role of Berries

Berries were often added to pemmican, not just for flavor, but for their nutritional value. Dried berries like chokecherries, saskatoon berries, and cranberries are rich in vitamin C and were commonly included in the meat and fat mixture. While the dehydration process can reduce the vitamin's potency, significant amounts can remain, especially when carefully prepared. This berry-enhanced version of pemmican was a crucial part of the diet, especially in times when fresh produce was unavailable. The addition of these fruits helped the pemmican last longer while also providing essential micronutrients.

The Importance of Organ Meats

Perhaps the most significant and often overlooked source of vitamin C in a traditional diet was the consumption of raw organ meats. Indigenous groups ate parts of the animal that Europeans considered inedible, including the adrenal glands and liver. Modern science has confirmed that these organs, particularly the adrenal glands, are some of the richest sources of vitamin C found in animal tissues. By eating these parts of a freshly killed animal, Native American groups could obtain all the vitamin C they needed, even during winter months. This critical piece of knowledge was often missed by explorers, who only saw the dried meat and rendered fat and failed to understand the complete dietary context.

Modern Pemmican and Nutrient Options

Today, modern pemmican is made with various recipes, and the vitamin C content varies based on the ingredients chosen. Some people strictly adhere to the basic meat-and-tallow recipe, while others add fruits or powdered vitamins for nutritional enhancement.

Pemmican Variations and Vitamin C Content


Pemmican Type	Core Ingredients	Vitamin C Content	Best For
Traditional (Basic)	Dried meat, rendered fat	Negligible (0mg)	High-energy, shelf-stable, keto-friendly diets
Berry-Enhanced	Dried meat, rendered fat, dried berries (e.g., cranberries, chokecherries)	Variable, depending on berries and preparation	Added flavor, antioxidants, and a natural vitamin C boost
Carnivore-Style	Dried lean meat, rendered fat, raw organ meats (e.g., liver, glands)	Present, especially if raw organs are consumed	Holistic nutrition, mirroring historical Indigenous diets
Fortified (Modern)	Dried meat, rendered fat, berries, + ascorbic acid powder	High, depending on quantity added	Guaranteed vitamin C source for long-term storage and survival

For those seeking a guaranteed source of vitamin C in their pemmican, the easiest method is to add a small amount of powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder) or include dried berries. This ensures the survival food can also act as an antiscorbutic agent. For a truly authentic and nutritionally complete approach, one could follow the traditional Indigenous practice of consuming raw organs from the same animal used for the meat, though this is not for everyone.

Conclusion: Pemmican's Vitamin C Legacy

The question of whether pemmican has vitamin C is not a simple yes or no; it depends entirely on how it is prepared and the dietary context in which it is consumed. Basic pemmican made of only dried meat and fat does not contain vitamin C, but historical Indigenous diets ingeniously included sources like berries and raw organ meats to prevent deficiencies. European explorers who failed to grasp this complete dietary system tragically suffered the consequences. For modern survivalists and enthusiasts, adding dried fruit or a vitamin C supplement is the most reliable method for ensuring a balanced diet. The enduring legacy of pemmican is not just its remarkable shelf life, but the complete nutritional wisdom that accompanied its traditional preparation.

Learn more about scurvy from the Canadian Encyclopedia

Frequently Asked Questions

Basic pemmican, made from just dried meat and fat, contains no vitamin C because the vitamin is destroyed by heat and exposure to air during the dehydration and rendering process.

Traditional Indigenous cultures avoided scurvy by consuming raw organ meats from freshly killed animals, which contain vitamin C, and by adding dried berries to their pemmican.

Yes, adding dried fruits like cranberries, chokecherries, or blueberries is a traditional method for increasing pemmican's vitamin C content and providing a natural antioxidant boost.

While pemmican is nutritionally dense in calories, protein, and fat, its completeness depends on the recipe. A basic version is not a complete food, but variations with added berries, organ meats, or fortified with supplements can provide a broader range of nutrients, including vitamin C.

Yes, many European explorers and sailors who relied heavily on pemmican without understanding the full traditional diet suffered from scurvy, as they lacked the necessary vitamin C from fresh sources.

Yes, some modern recipes call for adding powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder) to pemmican to guarantee a stable vitamin C source, particularly for long-term survival situations.

The dehydration process significantly decreases or eliminates vitamin C in many foods, including fruits and meat. The extent of the loss can vary depending on the drying method and temperature.