Lycopene is found in tomato products. It is the natural chemical that gives tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables their distinctive red color. The outer skin of the tomato contains the highest concentration of lycopene, though the exact amount depends on the tomato species, where it was grown, and its ripeness.
Traditionally, lycopene has been extracted from tomato skin (also called tomato pomace) or paste/purée and a correlation to lycopene concentration developed based on HLPC or spectrophotometric transmission measurements using a 10 mm path length cell.
Today, the tomato industry is interested in measuring lycopene. Customers know its health benefits, and measuring lycopene can communicate the advantages of tomato-containing products. Fortunately, today's spectrophotometers can help producers accurately quantify the color of tomatoes and tomato products, providing important information about lycopene content.
