Selenium content of foods and diets in Finland

Abstract

The selenium (Se) content of 13 basic Finnish food items has monitored regularly since the beginning of the use of Se supplemeted fertilizers 20 years ago. This operation was found to increase the Se contents of all foods, and the average daily intake increased also to an adequate level. The fertilization practice is found to be safe, because the plants act as effective buffers against too high Se contents. The fertilization practice is also found to be adjustable, because the Se contents of food respond to the amount of Se in the fertilizers.