Selenium in poultry nutrition and its effect on meat quality

Abstract

This review focuses on a selected micro mineral, where the highlight is its role in meat quality. Minerals are important for optimising livestock and poultry performance. Initial symptoms of mineral imbalances, subclinical inadequacies, or severe deficiencies include depressed growth, body weight gain, poor feed utilisation efficiency, and reproductive efficiency. Dietary trace elements, particularly selenium, are able to induce physiological changes in muscle tissue, and they can alter meat quality in livestock and poultry. Bearing in mind the role of selenium in the quality of meat produced, the limited research into the association of selenium and skin health has been included in the review. © 2011 World's Poultry Science Association.