Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of L‐selenomethionine as feed additive for all animal species

Abstract

Selenium is a trace element that is essential for vertebrates and involved in series of vital metabolic functions. Considering the purity of the L-selenomethionine (L-SeMet) under application and the metabolic pathways of SeMet, the FEEDAP Panel considers the use of L-SeMet as safe for all animal species, provided that the maximum total selenium level authorised in feed is respected. The use of in animal nutrition is expected to result in a similar increase in selenium deposition in animal tissues/products as that resulting from other sources of SeMet. To ensure consumer safety from consumption of food originating from animals fed L-SeMet, the FEEDAP Panel concludes that dietary selenium supplementation from the additive should not exceed a maximum of 0.2 mg Se/kg complete feed. In the absence of specific data, the additive should be considered as an irritant to skin and eyes, as a skin sensitiser and as potentially harmful by inhalation. The FEEDAP Panel considers that the use of L-SeMet in feed does not pose an additional risk to the environment, compared with other sources of selenium for which it will substitute, as long as the maximum authorised content in feedingstuffs is not exceeded. L-SeMet is an efficient source of selenium for all species. This conclusion is derived from studies with laying hens and pigs for fattening and, in the case of ruminants, from literature describing the microbial incorporation of selenium from organic sources in the rumen. The FEEDAP Panel made some recommendations concerning (i) the specification, (ii) the use of the compound in premixtures, (iii) the use in water for drinking and (iv) risk reduction when handling the additive

Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for selenium

“…EFSA's Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP Panel) has assessed the safety of several selenium compounds in the context of their use as additives in animal feed and have considered them to be safe for consumers provided that the total maximum authorised content of selenium in complete feed is respected (EFSA FEEDAP Panel, 2013a , b , 2015 , 2016a , b , c , 2018a , b , 2019a , b , 2021 ).…”

Selenomethionine as a Safer Substitute for Barium Selenate in Long-Acting Injectable Se Supplements for Food-Producing Animals

“…As an analogue of the amino acid methionine, SeMet from all sources becomes incorporated nonspecifically into the proteins of tissues throughout the body where it serves as a labile reservoir of Se to provide the animal with ongoing benefit. Indeed the deliberate accumulation of SeMet in the tissues of food-producing animals (e.g., in meat and milk) has been promoted as nutritionally valuable for consumers. − Supplementary SeMet is indistinguishable from that which occurs naturally in animals and plants. An injectable supplement based on SeMet could have regulatory advantage over other forms of Se because, if residues persist, they would not be chemically foreign.…”