Iodine enrichment in food of animal origin

G. Flachowsky, F. Schöne, G. Jahreis, Braunschweig/Jena

Iodine is an essential trace element for humans and animals. It is among those trace elements, of which deficits exist in many humans worldwide. Efforts should therefore be taken to improve iodine supply.

The iodine content of milk and eggs can be increased by adding iodine exceeding the animals’ requirements to animal feed resp. feeding maximum concentrations of 10 mg iodine per kg of feed admissible until recently may lead to concentrations of >1 000 µg iodine per kg milk or eggs.

As excessive iodine supply – mainly after longer iodine deficiency – may interfer with the thyroid metabolism in humans, admissible maximum contents in mixed feed for milk cows and laying hens were, according to a study (EFSA), EU-wide reduced from 10 mg down to 5 mg/kg.

The influence of different iodine concentrations in animal feed, resp., on the iodine levels in food of animal origin is discussed. Because the data available are insufficient, more dose-response studies in food-producing animals are needed.

Key words: Iodine / enrichment / food / animals

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 01/06 ab Seite 17.