A consortium of researchers from the University of Warwick, farmers, a fertiliser manufacturer and a UK baker are developing grain-based breads with high levels of selenium, a mineral believed to play a significant role in male fertility and in the prevention of certain cancers.
Farmers can boost selenium levels of crops using selenium enhanced fertilisers. If trials are successful, products could be on sale within four years. While the Food Standards Agency recommends a daily intake of 60--75 microgrammes of selenium, UK average intake is half of that.