Stability of lycopene in tomato puree during storage

Lycopene, the pigment responsible for the characteristic deep red colour of ripe tomatoes and their products, plays an important role in human health. The stability of lycopene in tomato puree during storage was studied. Tomato puree was prepared from tomatoes grown in three different geographical regions of Croatia during two seasons. The samples of tomato puree were stored in the dark at 5, 15 and 25 degrees C and under light at 25 degrees C during a period of 6 months with constant monitoring of the changes of lycopene content. At the beginning of the storage there was no statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in lycopene content between the samples and geographic origin, while season significantly (P < 0.05) influenced lycopene content. The value of lycopene content in all tomato puree samples significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing storage time for all the treatments. Light exposure significantly (P < 0.05) facilitated degradation of lycopene.