Lycopene content of tomato products and their contribution to the lycopene intake of Croatians

In spite of the interest in the role of lycopene in the prevention of chronic diseases, little is known about the lycopene content of the tomatoes and tomato products commonly consumed in Croatia, and the contribution of these products to the intake of lycopene. The lycopene content of tomatoes and different tomato products was determined. The lycopene content of tomato-based foods was provided to 3 young population groups of Croatia (approximately 1000 nursery children aged 2-6 years, 600 school children aged 6-14 years, and 700 university students aged 18-24 years) in the institutional food service (nursery, school, and university cafeterias), and the daily cafeteria meal intake of lycopene in these populations were estimated. Lycopene content in 24 samples of fresh tomatoes ranged from 1.82 to 11.19 mg per 100 g wet weight. In the 82 brands of different tomato products (tomato purée, ketchup, concentrated tomato paste, tomato juice, and whole canned tomatoes) from markets in Zagreb, Croatia, the values for lycopene content ranged from 3.80 to 52.20 mg per 100 g wet weight for individual samples and from 8.10 to 26.46 mg per 100 g wet weight for average content of various tomato products. The estimated daily cafeteria meal intake of lycopene (from tomatoes and tomato products) was 4.82 mg in nursery children, 4.11 mg in school children, and 3.35 mg in university students. These results have implications for the evaluation of the daily intake of lycopene in Croatia and raise important questions for establishing a recommendation for optimal daily lycopene intake.