How can we meet the increasing worldwide demand for meat in a sustainable way? Not a question with a simple answer, but part of the solution could be improving the quality of animal products. When we produce meat with a longer shelf life, we can aim to prevent early rejection of the meat for human consumption.

Increasing the amount of marketable meat can also allow for a more efficient production. Oxidation is considered as a major cause of declining meat quality. In order to improve meat quality, these oxidation reactions should be reduced, both pre- and post-slaughter.

As selenium functions as an antioxidant, supplementing the diet of animals with selenium can contribute to reducing oxidation and improving meat quality. Higher meat quality by the use of dietary L-selenomethionine has been shown in several species such as pigs, poultry and ruminants.