Furthermore, pre-treatment prior to microwave drying is one of the most important factors that affect the quality of a final product. Several studies have showed that the colour and carotenoids of dried fruits and vegetables can be successfully preserved when pre-treatment such as soaking in ascorbic acid was applied before drying (Chen et al., 2007; Kha et al., 2011 objective of this study was to investigate effects of pre-treatment and microwave power on the quality of Gac powder in terms of colour characteristics, and content of carotene and lycopene. A comparison of the quality of the microwave-dried, air-dried and freeze-dried aril powders was made. Surface microstructures of these powders were also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the use of carotenoid-based foods as natural colourants and nutrient supplements is currently receiving considerable attention from food manufacturers and consumers. Therefore, there is also a need to investigate whether the Gac aril powder can be incorporated