Carotenoid stability in fruits, vegetables and working standards – Effect of storage temperature and time

The effects of freezing and storage temperature on the mass fraction of α- and β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin in minimally processed fresh food products, were evaluated after sample preparation, extraction and saponification (only when strictly necessary). Effects of freezing and long-term stability were studied at two temperatures, −20 and −70 °C, using high performance liquid chromatography (reversed phase columns, UV–Vis diode array detector) at time points during storage; measurement uncertainty was included in the evaluation. Stability of working standard solutions was also examined. Freezing did not affect the carotenoid mass fraction under the conditions studied. Carotenoids in orange, cherry, peach, apple, and kale were stable (except α-carotene and zeaxanthin in peach) for 13, 9.7, 5.7, 2.5 and 7.5 months, respectively. For these food sample matrices, no significant difference between the freezing/storage at −20 and −70 °C was observed. Standard solutions (0.05–5 μg/mL) were stable for at least 6 months at −70 °C, except lycopene which at 0.05 μg/mL was apparently stable only for six weeks.