Agnieszka Wierzbicka

Pork meat and pork products as a source of selenium for consumers – possibilities and dangers

The article presents possibilities of adding selenium to pork meat and pork products during meat production, to obtain functional products. Selenium is mineral important for human well-being, responsible for glutathione peroxidase generation, which protects cells from oxidation by peroxides, generated in biochemical processes. Deficiencies of selenium may result in arthritis, circulatory diseases, Keshan disease and nephropathy. Results of research indicate, that organic selenium from various sources, results in higher selenium content in meat, than is observed in the case of inorganic selenium. Moreover, selenium from various sources in most of the research results in similar qualitative features of carcass (mass, percent of meat, fat cover), meat (pH, components of colour measured in the L*a*b* system). It was also concluded that drip loss is negatively correlated with selenium content in diet of animals, that is important, as an excessive drip loss is associated not only with product and economical wastes, but also with lower quality of meat and meat products. Research also indicate, that addition of selenium (especially organic selenium) to meat products, may lead to obtaining functional pork meat and pork meat products, characterized by features not different than in the case of typical market products, but at the same time, by enhanced health-promoting value.

The diet high in meat products may be one of the reasons of inflammatory bowel diseases. Simultaneously, the meat consumption in this group of patients is in many cases high, however it may possibly have negative impact on the symptoms of disease. On the other hand, meat functional products may have a positive influence on health and well-being of people with inflammatory bowel diseases. Important may be especially meat and meat products characterized by reduced alergenicity, reduced preservatives content, modified fatty acids composition, with probiotics, antioxidants, that may be applied in case of people with inflammatory bowel diseases instead of typical products. They may allow to enhance intake of deficit nutrients and to eliminate components of adverse effect.