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 paper reviews the long-term outcomes of Finland's national policy, introduced in 1984, of adding inorganic selenium to mineral fertilisers in response to widespread selenium deficiency in soils and the population. The review documents how selenium levels in crops, animal feed, food products and human serum changed substantially over several decades as a result of the intervention. It is widely cited as one of the few national-scale examples of agronomic biofortification successfully translating into measurable improvements in population nutritional status.

UK applicability

The UK shares some geological similarities with Finland in terms of low soil selenium availability, particularly in upland and acid soil regions, and UK dietary selenium intakes have declined since the shift away from high-selenium North American wheat imports. Finland's experience offers a directly relevant policy precedent for considering selenium biofortification of fertilisers or targeted supplementation strategies in the UK.

Key measures

Selenium concentration in fertilisers (mg/kg); selenium content in cereals, animal products and human serum (µg/L or µg/kg); population selenium intake estimates

Outcomes reported

The study examined changes in selenium concentrations in foods, animal tissues and human blood serum following the nationwide introduction of selenium-enriched fertilisers in Finland from 1984 onwards. It assessed whether the programme successfully corrected population-level selenium deficiency and achieved optimal selenium status.

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