ABSTRACT
A number of variables determine the carotenoid content of raw whole fruits and
vegetables. These include variety (cultivars), maturity at harvest, growing
season, indoor versus outdoor growth, growing location, and harvest storage
conditions (1-3). When considering the absolute carotenoid content of foods, it
is important to keep in perspective the inherent bioavailability differences
between carotenoids from fruits versus carotenoids from vegetables, as well as
the impact of food processing and cooking on bioavailability. These con-
siderations are important when attempting to reasonably determine individual or
population intake of carotenoids from foods.
