Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are known to be specific inducers of CYP1A1 expression in vertebrates. CYP1A1 induction has been widely studied in mammal cell cultures or in vivo, in conditions of exposure to single PAH chemicals. Here, we studied the possible transfer of PAH to rats via the food chain in environmentally-relevant conditions. Rats were fed for 2 days with PAH-contaminated mussels sampled on coasts polluted by the Erika oil-tanker wreck. CYP1A1 expression was investigated by measuring mRNA levels and EROD enzymatic activity over the 84 h following the last ingestion. CYP1A1 expression in treated rats was compared to controls fed with mussels free from PAH contamination. The results showed that ingestion of PAH-contaminated mussels induced CYP1A1 mRNA and EROD activity. Increase of transcriptional level and of EROD activity was transient with a peak within 12 h and a return to basal levels within 36 h.