Effects of nationwide addition of selenium to fertilizers on foods, and animal and human health in Finland: From deficiency to optimal selenium status of the population

Summary

This review examines Finland's pioneering 1984 national policy of adding inorganic selenium to mineral fertilisers, implemented to address widespread soil and population selenium deficiency. The paper documents long-term changes in selenium bioavailability across the food chain and resulting improvements in population nutritional status, presenting a rare example of successful agronomic biofortification scaled to national level. The findings suggest that targeted fertiliser supplementation can effectively shift population micronutrient status when coupled with comprehensive food system intervention.

Regional applicability

Finland's soil selenium levels are naturally low, as are those in much of the UK and Northern Europe; however, the UK has not adopted a comparable nationwide biofortification policy. The Finnish model offers policy precedent for addressing population-level micronutrient deficiency through agricultural intervention, though UK regulatory and agronomic frameworks differ. Transferability to UK practice would depend on policy commitment and harmonisation with fertiliser standards.

Key measures

Selenium levels in crops, animal feed, food products, and human serum; population selenium status over time

Outcomes reported

The study documented changes in selenium concentrations in crops, animal feed, food products, and human serum over several decades following the introduction of selenium-supplemented fertilisers in 1984. It measured the translation of agronomic intervention into population-level nutritional status improvement.

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