FOCUS ON LYCOPENE

During the last few years, the interest of research workers, media and consumers about tomatoes and tomato products has become stronger and stronger because of the supposed beneficial effects of lycopene (the red pigment characteristic of tomatoes), in protecting the human organism from the attack of pathogenic agents (radicals) responsible oft the most important diseases of our time.
Processed tomatoes and in particular tomato paste have always been considered "poor" products with a low added value destined for being used as a basis for more elaborated products (sauces, ketchup), both for domestic and for industrial trade purposes: semi-processed products dominated by the "price" rather than finished products with their own dignity linked, in particular, to intrinsic quality factors. Today the consumer faces new socio-economic and therefore food-related factors which tend to favour service quality. A service which, first of all, meets the requirements of the new life systems but which also takes into account the renewed attention to the hygienic and dietary aspects of the food practically speaking to its nutritional quality, also in the light of the supposed antioxidant activities of some microcomponents, particularly lycopene.
The aim of this lecture is to analyse what has been said or published on the matter, with a special reference to what happens to the lycopene during industrial processing of tomatoes and the commercialisation of its products, also in the light of the results of the Concerted Action 97-3233 which led to the publication of the "White Book" by AMITOM.