**Author details**

**Samples**

154 Biotechnology

*products (RCMP)*

**8. Conclusions**

Means in column with common letter are not different (p> 0.05).

biologically accessible with higher functional value.

may be a useful tool for the tomato industry.

in fermented tomato products.

**ß–carotene Lycopene Total carotenoids content**

**mg/100 g**

P. p. 10% 0.76±0.06c 2.62±0.20c 3.38c P. p. 30% 1.17±0.10d 6.31±0.26d 7.48d Samples: C0 % - RCMP without tomato products; P.p. 10 % - RCMP with 10 % with *P. pentosaceus* fermented tomato products; P.p. 30 % - RCMP with 30 % with *P. pentosaceus* fermented tomato products; L.s. 10 % - RCMP with 10 % with *L. sakei* fermented tomato products; *L.s.* 30 % - RCMP with 30 % with *L. sakei* fermented tomato products; Sp. 10 % - RCMP with 10 % spontaneous fermented tomato products; Sp. 30 % - RCMP with 30 % spontaneous fermented tomato products; Untr. 10 % - RCMP with 10 % untreated tomato powder; Untr. 30 % - RCMP with 30 % untreated tomato powder.

**Table 5.** ß–carotene, lycopene and total carotenoids content in thermal treated and untreated *ready- to-cook minced meat*

Lactic acid fermentation represents the easiest and most suitable way to increase daily consumption of nearly fresh fruits and vegetables. The health and safety of the products can be aided by the development of starter cultures. Progress in the field of antimicrobial LAB strains with multi-functional properties, including the degradation of mycotoxins, can be engineered to significantly improve the quality, safety and acceptability of plant foods.

Tomato processing resulted in several important changes in carotenoid concentration and lycopene isomer profile. Treatment with LAB breaks down the tomato cell matrix and makes carotenoids more available, yielding a higher level of total carotenoids. Moreover, tomatoes subjected to lactic acid fermentation results in high lycopene bioavailability accompanied by increased *cis*-lycopene content. According to our results, *P. pentosaceus* and *L. sakei* may be useful for the preservation of tomatoes. Such products could be recommended as being more

The results of our tomato product colour analysis offered the possibility of evaluating the level of lycopene using the yellow colour characteristic of tomato products; this method was reproducible and accurate enough to substitute for the chemical extraction determinations and

The direct use of *Pediococcus pentosaceus* KTU05-9 and *Lactobacillus sakei* KTU05-6 for tomato product fermentation increases the carotenoid content in tomato products, which is a beneficial additive that improves the colour, functional value and acceptability of ready-to-cook minced meat products. Ready-to-cook minced meat products that have been enriched with carote‐ noids, which lend good sensory quality and are produced to contain a high level of lycopene and ß-carotene, can increase the intake of carotenoids in the diet. This is the first time that selected lactobacilli-fermented tomato products have been used as source of lycopene and ßcarotene for food, and more research is needed to explain the mechanism of carotenoid increase Dalia Urbonaviciene1,2\*, Pranas Viskelis2 , Elena Bartkiene3 , Grazina Juodeikiene1 and Daiva Vidmantiene1

\*Address all correspondence to: dalia.urbonaviciene@ktu.edu

1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

2 Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Lithuania

3 Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania
