Besides the analysis that was performed on the final product
(pumpkin puree), aliquots were removed before and after cooking
(raw pumpkin and cooked pumpkin) for analysis of carotenoids.
The collection of the aliquots was performed with a special care
regarding the uniformity and the quantity of the samples so that
they were representative of the batch as a whole. To prevent any
modification of carotenoids after collecting the samples, the aliquots
were frozen and kept at 20 C until required for analysis
on the following day.