Are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes? Scoping review on the effects of industrial processing on nutrients and bioactive compounds in tomatoes

Authors: Wu, Xianli; YU, LIANGLI - University Of Maryland; Pehrsson, Pamela

Submitted to: Advances in Nutrition
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/8/2021
Publication Date: 10/19/2021
Citation: Wu, X., Yu, L., Pehrsson, P.R. 2021. Are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes? Scoping review on the effects of industrial processing on nutrients and bioactive compounds in tomatoes. Advances in Nutrition. 13(1):138-151. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab109.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab109

Interpretive Summary: Tomatoes are the second most consumed vegetable in the U.S. One commonly asked question by consumers and the nutrition community is “are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes?” This review addresses this question by summarizing the current understandings on the effects of industrial processing on nutrients and bioactive compounds of tomatoes. The data suggested that different processing methods had different effects on different compounds in tomatoes. But currently available data are still limited, and the existing data are often controversial or inconsistent. USDA SR Legacy data were utilized to estimate nutrient intake from fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products. When consumed at the same amount, intake of some compounds are higher in fresh tomatoes, while other compounds are higher in processed tomato products. In conclusion, there is no simple ”yes” or “no” answer to the question “are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes?” Many factors must be taken into consideration when comparing the nutritious value between the fresh consumed tomatoes and processed tomato products. At this point, we do not have sufficient data to fully understand all the factors and their impacts.

Technical Abstract: Tomatoes are the second most consumed vegetable in the U.S. In 2017, American people consumed 20.3 pounds tomatoes from fresh market and 73.3 pounds processed tomato products per capita. One commonly asked question by consumers and the nutrition community is “are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes?” This review addresses this question by summarizing the current understandings on the effects of industrial processing on nutrients and bioactive compounds of tomatoes. Thirteen original research papers were found to study the effects of different industrial processing methods on the nutrients and/or bioactive compounds in tomato products. The data suggested that different processing methods had different effects on different compounds in tomatoes. But currently available data are still limited, and the existing data are often controversial or inconsistent. USDA SR Legacy data were utilized to estimate nutrient intake from fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products. When consumed at the same amount, intake of some compounds (e.g. a-carotene) are higher in fresh tomatoes, while other compounds (e.g. lycopene) are higher in processed tomato products. In conclusion, there is no simple ”yes” or “no” answer to the question “are processed tomato products as nutritious as fresh tomatoes?” Many factors must be taken into consideration when comparing the nutritious value between the fresh consumed tomatoes and processed tomato products. At this point, we do not have sufficient data to fully understand all the factors and their impacts.