Stability of lycopene emulsions in food systems

The chemical stability of lycopene and the physical stability of lycopene emulsions diluted in 3 different food systems (skimmed milk, orange juice, and water as control) were studied. In these investigations, 3 different emulsifiers were used. It was found that lycopene stability strongly depends on the food system. In orange juice, lycopene is particularly stable. The emulsifiers used have only little influence on the stability of lycopene. Emulsions with a-tocopherol as an additional antioxidant showed a good lycopene stability in all food systems. Coalescence of oil droplets was not observed in any of the food systems investigated.