Composition of pork and German meat products with a focus on iron, selenium and iodine

Meat products contribute to the fat and salt burden of German consumers, however, they represent also a valuable source of protein, iron, selenium and further micronutrients. An assortment of ten representative meat products – from 15 processors - was to be compared with lean (muscle) pork. The meat products differed significantly in their content of water, fat, protein and salt, resulting in respective changes to the content of Ca, K, Mg, P, Cu, Mn, Se and Zn. Meat and meat products were confirmed as relevant source of Se (medians 64–156 µg/kg) and Fe (5–86 mg/kg). The maxima represent liver and blood sausage, the minima Jagdwurst and smoked belly. Ten processors used non-iodized salt resulting in low-iodine meat products - median 32 µg/kg and not far from pork (4 µg iodine/kg). Iodized salt (15–25 µg/g iodine) was used by five processors, that transformed meat products into iodine sources (medians 347–671 µg/kg). The high-significant regression between the iodine and NaCl concentrations for all meat products with iodized salt allows to calculate the food-iodine content from the salt dosage. As regards Fe, Se and iodine, the food tables for pork and meat products should be updated, including for cases where iodized salt is used.