In vitro approaches to estimate the effect of food processing on carotenoid bioavailability need thorough understanding of process induced microstructural changes

Carotenoids represent an example of micronutrients for which processing-induced food structure changes (e.g., matrix disruption) strongly influence their bioavailability. The available scientific information on this topic resulting from both in vivo and in vitro studies shows however the complexity of this problem. Although in vitro studies have been shown useful to better understand the relation between processing and carotenoid bioavailability, there is still conflicting information. To expand our current knowledge on this topic in order to allow rational design of food processing solutions resulting in products with maximal carotenoid accessibility and (bio)availability, it is suggested (i) to further evaluate and standardize in vitro models to be used as high throughput screening tools to determine the effect of extrinsic (process-related) and intrinsic (product-related) factors and (ii) to integrate food structure information as a useful approach for understanding and quantifying the bioavailability of carotenoids in foods. However, it will be necessary to validate the information obtained from these in vitro methods thoroughly against human studies (in vivo studies).