A study that attempted to determine if venison eaters had higher levels of lead in their blood was released this week. The results were inconclusive. Last year a Bismarck, North Dakota, doctor and hunter X-rayed venison collected from food pantries around the state. In May, a more formal study of 738 North Dakota residents began, reports the Bismarck Tribune .

The epidemiologist who conducted the study said the tests indicated that those people who eat a lot of venison killed with lead ammunition "tended to have higher lead levels than those who ate little or none." However, none of those tested had lead levels that would be considered elevated.

State officials recommended that people could minimize their consumption of lead by following safe processing procedures. The state's recommendations can be found here.