Abstract: Tomatoes and tomato products are rich sources of carotenoids—principally
lycopene, followed by β-carotene and lutein. The aim of this work was to study the effect
of heat treatment on carotenoid content in cherry tomatoes. Raw and canned products were
sampled and analysed; furthermore whole, skin and pulp fractions of cherry tomatoes were
analysed when raw and home-processed, in order to better understand heat treatment
effects. Lycopene content in canned tomatoes was two-fold higher than in raw tomatoes
(11.60 mg/100 g versus 5.12 mg/100 g). Lutein and β-carotene were respectively
0.15 mg/100 g and 0.75 mg/100 g in canned tomatoes versus 0.11 mg/100 g and
1.00 mg/100 g in raw tomatoes. For home-processed tomatoes, β-carotene and lutein
showed a content decrease in all thermally treated products. This decrease was more
evident for β-carotene in the skin fraction (−17%), while for lutein it was greater in the
pulp fraction (−25%). Lycopene presented a different pattern: after heat treatment its
concentration increased both in the whole and in pulp fractions, while in the skin fraction it
decreased dramatically (−36%). The analysis of the isomers formed during the thermal
treatment suggests that lycopene is rather stable inside the tomato matrix.