Effect of processing and packaging on the lycopene content of tomato products

The lycopene content and its stability in two commonly available tomato cultivars (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Roma VF and L. esculentum var. Ibadan Local), during processing and in-package storage were studied. Estimates of lycopene concentration in fresh tomato and tomato products were determined by measuring the absorbance of lycopene solution in hexane at 472 nm. The results indicated that Roma VF had more lycopene (5.95 mg/100 g) compared to the Ibadan Local (4.76 mg/100 g) cultivars. More lycopene was retained in the dried slices than in dried pulp and better in the presence of antioxidant (sodium metabisulphite). On storage at 29degreesC, the profile of lycopene degradation rate in Roma VF and Ibadan Local pulp in different packaging materials was: can < plastic bottle < laminated metalized aluminium (LMA) foil < glass bottle and glass bottle < plastic bottle < can < LMA foil. At 40degreesC, lycopene degraded by three to six times faster than that at 29degreesC and degraded faster in Ibadan Local than Roma VF pulp on storage.