Science Letters

Tomato processing, lycopene and health benefits: A review

Muhammad Umar Nasir*, Sarfraz Hussain, Saqib Jabbar

Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

Abstract

Tomato and tomato-based products are important source of many established nutrients and phytochemicals that may have health benefits. Lycopene is an important carotenoid found in tomatoes that has recently received attention for its potential role in preventing various degenerative diseases in humans. Tomatoes are used in many processed items like tomato and spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, ketchup, and tomato paste. This review summarizes the background information about tomato composition, lycopene health benefits and effect of processing on the various attributes of tomato products.

Keywords: Tomato, lycopene, health benefits, processing.

Received August 12, 2013 Revised October 8, 2014 Published online first November 10, 2014

*Corresponding author Muhammad Umar Nasir Email umar_nasirft@yahoo.com