Selenium content in representative Korean foods

This study was conducted to create a selenium database for the representative food items in Korean diet and to estimate the dietary selenium intake of Koreans. Three samples for each food item selected based on the result of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II (KNHANES II) were purchased in markets with a nationwide distribution channel and some local retail stores. Each pooled sample was analyzed in triplicate by ICP–MS after thorough homogenization. The rich sources of selenium were fish, shellfish and their products (0.152–0.788 μg/g), eggs (0.267 μg/g), and meats and poultry (0.043–0.324 μg/g). Vegetables and fruits contained trace amounts of selenium (trace–0.052 μg/g). The major food sources of selenium intake were grains and cereals (34%), fish and shellfish (21%) and meats and poultry (20%). The selenium intake of the Korean population was estimated by combining the selenium contents of frequently consumed foods in KNHANES II, of which the data was collected by 24-h recall method. The estimated and mean intake values reported for Koreans were 57.5 μg/person/day.