Selenium Contents in Different Types of Raw and Processed Meat Products, Consumed Among the General Population of Pakistan

The present study was undertaken to generate a database for selenium (Se) content present in minced and processed meat products abundantly available in the market and to estimate the dietary Se intake in different types of minced/raw and processed meat in Pakistan. The concentration of Se was determined in meat samples of different brands of beef, chicken, and mutton, consumed among the local population of different cities of Pakistan. For pretreatment of the meat samples, microwave-assisted acid digestion procedure (MAD) was developed for the Se analysis in the meat samples of different brands. The validity of the designed method was checked by certified reference samples of BOVM-1 (bovine muscle certified reference material 1). Digested meat samples were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that among different meat types, average Se concentration of beef was close to those of chicken samples. The mean Se concentration in the meat observed in reducing order was established in mutton (120 μg/kg), beef (91 μg/kg), and chicken (90 μg/kg). These results suggest that mutton and chicken samples have significant differences in their average concentrations. There was no significant difference in the average concentration of beef and chicken ( p > 0.05), while there was a significant difference in average concentrations of Se in beef and mutton ( p