AniMag' n°10

> Animals

Sources of nutrients in human food

Edible animal products are valuable sources of nutrients for humans, including essential trace minerals such as zinc, copper and manganese.

Unlike manganese, animal-based products (meats, offal, fishes, eggs) are the richest in zinc and copper.

The influence of animal feeding on the concentration of trace elements in edible products such as muscle, eggs and milk, is much higher for anions (selenium, iodine) than for cations (iron, zinc, copper, manganese). Fortification of vegetal ingredients or high doses of cationic trace mineral supplementation have limited impact on the enrichment of animal products. It is a totally different picture with storage organs such as liver and kidney, which accumulate good but also undesirable molecules (read more: Industry and Business 10).

Last but not least, supplemented trace minerals in animal feeds can interfere with organoleptic properties of your food (read more: Industry & Business 9).